What bias is demonstrated by using data to support a preexisting belief and ignoring data that doesn't fit?

• A. Anchoring
• B. Confirmation bias
• C. Hindsight bias
• D. Stereotyping

Answer: (B)

This shows confirmation bias: the tendency to seek out, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms our preexisting beliefs, while discounting data that contradicts them. When you actively use data to support what you already think and ignore data that doesn’t fit, you’re practicing this bias. In professional practice, this can lead to biased appraisals or analyses because the evidence keeps pointing to a favored conclusion rather than reflecting a balanced view of all available information.

Anchoring would be sticking to an initial figure or early information as the baseline for judgments, which isn’t about selectively using data to fit a belief. Hindsight bias is the feeling that outcomes were predictable after they occur, not about data selection. Stereotyping involves applying generalized beliefs about a group rather than focusing on how evidence supports or contradicts a specific belief.