November 16, 2012 by David K. Sutton
Careful, Confirmation Bias Can Be Contagious
In case you missed it, Hostess Brands Inc., maker of Twinkies and Ding Dongs, announced today that all plants have ceased operation. This comes after a liquidation threat earlier in the week if workers continued to strike. Hostess filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year.
A recent Facebook status by a person who will remain nameless goes:
I’m sure the Hostess closure is an isolated incident and has nothing to do with the reelection of President Obama. And if you believe that, I have a Twinkies factory to sell you. Rob Peter to pay Paul? Peter just told Paul to stick it! – by Anonymous Facebook User
I have a two-word response: Confirmation bias — What is confirmation bias you ask?
According to Science Daily:
In psychology and cognitive science, confirmation bias (or confirmatory bias) is a tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions, leading to statistical errors. – Science Daily
According to me:
In politics, confirmation bias (or confirmatory bias) is a tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions, leading to making an ass of one’s self.
