Let's assume that most high school students have "attitude" at one time or another. Mr. Schmidt, a high school athletic director, is a very prejudiced individual. He usually notices when the black students in school have "attitude" and rarely notices when the white students show "attitude." Consequently, he continues to believe that black students are disrespectful to authority. His tendency to focus on social information in a biased way that supports his prejudiced belief illustrates the ____.
A) scapegoat theory
B) self-serving bias
C) confirmation bias
D) jigsaw classroom

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The scenario described is an example of confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs. In this case, Mr. Schmidt's preexisting belief is his prejudice against black students, and he selectively notices and remembers information that confirms this belief while ignoring information that contradicts it.

Let's Assume That Most High School Students Have "Attitude" at One