Question

read the example below and answer the question that follows.
recent scientific research was released about global warming and climate change. both defenders and opponents of the theory of global warming saw the information as supporting their own beliefs.
both sides fell victim to ______.
a. availability heuristic
b. loss aversion
c. confirmation bias
d. belief bias

please select the best answer from the choices provided

Explanation:

Analyze the scenario

The scenario describes a situation where two opposing groups (defenders and opponents of the theory of global warming) interpret the exact same scientific research as supporting their pre-existing beliefs.

Evaluate the options

• A. availability heuristic: Estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory. This does not fit the scenario.
• B. loss aversion: The tendency to prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains. This is unrelated to interpreting evidence.
• C. confirmation bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's prior beliefs or hypotheses. This perfectly matches the behavior of both sides interpreting the same data to support their own views.
• D. belief bias: The tendency to judge the strength of arguments based on the plausibility of their conclusion rather than how strongly they support that conclusion. While related, the active interpretation of new evidence to support existing views is specifically defined as confirmation bias.

Determine the correct choice

The correct option is C.

Answer:

• (A) availability heuristic
• (B) loss aversion
• (C) confirmation bias (Correct answer)
• (D) belief bias