Cathy just got transferred to a new department. She has long believed that her new supervisor is a cranky, disagreeable person. According to confirmation bias, what will Cathy most likely do on her first day in the new supervisor's department?
A) She will forget about the things she has thought about her new supervisor.
B) She will look for positive behaviors on the part of her supervisor.
C) She will share her feelings with the new supervisor.
D) She will look for negative behaviors on the part of the supervisor.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to search for, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or attitudes. Therefore, Cathy is most likely to look for negative behavior on the part of her supervisor to confirm her belief that he/she is a cranky and disagreeable person. Option B, looking for positive behaviors, would go against her preexisting beliefs and is less likely to happen based on confirmation bias. Option A, forgetting about her thoughts, and Option C, sharing her feelings, are not related to confirmation bias.

Cathy Just Got Transferred to a New Department