A manager pays more attention to data supporting their preconceptions and ignores data that contradicts them. Which bias is this?

A manager pays more attention to data supporting their preconceptions and ignores data that contradicts them. Which bias is this?

• A. Confirmation bias
• B. Overconfidence bias
• C. Sunk-cost bias
• D. Framing bias

Answer: (A)

This question tests confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms our preconceptions and to discount or ignore information that contradicts them. In management, this leads to interpreting data through a lens that supports what you already believe, reinforcing decisions with selective evidence and missing warning signs. The other biases describe different problems: overconfidence bias is about overestimating one's own judgment; sunk-cost bias is sticking with a decision because of past investments; framing bias is how the presentation of information shapes choices. The behavior described—focusing on data that supports preconceptions while ignoring contradictory data—is a classic example of confirmation bias.

This question tests confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms our preconceptions and to discount or ignore information that contradicts them. In management, this leads to interpreting data through a lens that supports what you already believe, reinforcing decisions with selective evidence and missing warning signs. The other biases describe different problems: overconfidence bias is about overestimating one's own judgment; sunk-cost bias is sticking with a decision because of past investments; framing bias is how the presentation of information shapes choices. The behavior described—focusing on data that supports preconceptions while ignoring contradictory data—is a classic example of confirmation bias.