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Abstract
There is conclusive evidence that information search processes are typically biased in favor of the information seeker's own opinion (confirmation bias). Less is known about how knowledge about others' opinions affects this confirmatory information search. In the present study, the authors manipulated feedback about others' opinions and anticipation of group interaction. As predicted, the effect of knowledge about others' opinions on confirmatory information search depended on whether participants anticipated interacting with these others. Specifically, minority members anticipating a group discussion exhibited a particularly strong confirmation bias, whereas minority members who did not anticipate a discussion predominantly sought information opposing their opinion. For participants not anticipating group interaction, confidence about the correctness of one's decision mediated the impact of knowledge about others' opinions on confirmatory information search. Results are discussed with regard to the debiasing effect of preference heterogeneity on confirmatory information search in groups.
Highlights
Authors’ Note: The research reported in this article was made possible by grants from the German Scientific Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) to the second and fourth author, Project Fr. 472/16-5
No significant differences between these two groups were observed in the information search and confidence ratings
The main purpose of the present experiment was to clarify the contradictory results that had been obtained in previous studies on the impact of knowledge about others’ opinions on confirmatory information search
Summary
The purpose of the present study was threefold. The third goal of the present study was to extend past research on the impact of knowledge about others’ opinions on biased information search by including both a no-feedback control condition and a homogeneous feedback condition in our experimental design.
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