Agatha Harkness-Smythe is determined to ban guns in the United States. This is a controversial topic and social scientists have debated whether the ownership of guns by citizens increases or decreases crime. Agatha could go to the library and look up studies on the linkage between guns and crime rates. Instead, Agatha just reads the local newspaper and only cuts out articles about robberies in which the "bad guy" used a firearm. Agatha is demonstrating
A) mental set.
B) confirmation bias.
C) stereotype threat.
D) mindlessness.
E) flow.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Agatha's behavior is an example of confirmation bias, which refers to the tendency to seek out and remember only information that confirms one's existing beliefs or biases, while ignoring or discrediting information that contradicts them. By only paying attention to news articles that involve firearms in robberies, Agatha is only seeking out information that confirms her belief that guns are linked to crime.

Agatha Harkness-Smythe Is Determined to Ban Guns in the United