How to Avoid Confirmation Bias

Demystifying The Top Five Forms of Bias:

Affinity Bias

Affinity bias means we like people who are more like us. So, if I meet a woman in her early sixties from the south of England who works in HR, I’ll be inclined to like her.

Affinity bias is triggered by anything which makes the other person seem ‘like us’. You might not think much of Sunil from Marketing until you find out he’s a keen fisherman, just like you.

So, background, culture, shared history, hobbies, or other preferences can trigger affinity bias.

At work: Watch out for affinity bias clouding your judgment, or anyone else’s, about who should get that raise, promotion, training, or other opportunity.

Anchor Bias

Anchoring bias gives more credence to the first piece of information we receive, which is why first impressions are so important.

A real estate salesperson would use anchor bias to set a high initial price for a home. All other negotiations relate to this first price; the lower the final price, the lower the perceived discount and the greater the perceived bargain.

Anchoring bias is used in salary negotiations too. If you’ve got through the interview stage and are starting to talk money, an organization may have the upper hand if they speak about a number first.

That first number will anchor all negotiations around the salary.

At work: Look at the facts, identify the first anchor, and evaluate whether it makes sense.

Actor-observer Bias

This bias is a form of attribution bias. It means we judge our behavior differently from the behavior of others.

We attribute our behavior to external causes (I hit the other car because the weather was wet, the road slippery, and it couldn’t be helped), but other’s behavior to internal causes (the other car hit me because of bad driving).

If you’ve ever challenged someone by saying, “But didn’t you do the exact same thing last week?”, you’ll usually get the answer, “But that was different.”

At work: You attribute your lateness to the terrible traffic, whereas others would say you are disorganized or didn’t leave on time.

Authority Bias

Authority bias places more importance on the opinions of more senior employees or someone of high status, such as a doctor.

In the workplace, this could play out in recruitment, where a team member and manager conduct the interviews. The manager’s opinion is considered more accurate if it differs from the team members.

I’ve also seen the manager’s opinion of staff members affect how the organization perceives them. A team member favored by their manager could have an excellent reputation despite their poor work ethic and substandard work.

At work: If you are the leader, listen to your team’s views. They may defer to your opinion, even if it’s not accurate.

Confirmation Bias

This bias means if we believe something, we notice information that backs up our opinion and ignore facts that don’t.

If you think your friend & colleague is a hard worker, you will notice when she does extra work or stays late. You won’t see that she has to do these extras because she is always talking or doing personal admin at work.

You are unlikely to look for information that may change your opinion. You will also interpret information differently. You believe Susan is doing personal admin in work time because she has done all the extra hours rather than the other way around.

Confirmation bias will also influence how you remember information. Not surprisingly, you remember facts that back up your opinion and forget the rest.

At work: Consider your impressions of situations and people and examine the facts to see if confirmation bias is present.

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