Officer Smith example: What type of bias?

• A. Availability Heuristic
• B. Stereotyping
• C. Confirmation Bias
• D. Implicit Bias

Answer: (C)

Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms your preconceptions and to overlook or minimize information that might contradict them. In the Officer Smith scenario, once a tentative theory about a suspect or situation forms, the investigation tends to be guided by that theory. The officer may give more weight to clues and witness accounts that fit the initial suspicion while discounting or downplaying evidence that doesn’t. This keeps the interpretation aligned with what was already believed rather than testing it against all the available information.

This differs from other biases you might see. The availability heuristic relies on what information is most easily recalled, not necessarily what’s most relevant. Stereotyping involves applying broad generalizations about a group to individuals. Implicit bias refers to attitudes we hold unconsciously that can shape judgments without us realizing it. The scenario fits confirmation bias best because the focus is on reinforcing the initial belief rather than exploring information that could disconfirm it.

To counter this bias, it helps to actively seek disconfirming evidence, consider alternative hypotheses, and probe data that challenge the initial theory.