Biased information seeking after decisions: Cognitive and motivational bases

Research from different areas in social psychology shows that information search processes are often biased in favor of the information seeker's previously held beliefs, expectations, or desired conclusions. This has been shown, for example, in the field of social stereotypes, attitudes, expectations in negotiations, and self-serving conclusions. An information search that is clearly biased in favor of a preferred alternative leads to the preservation of the information seeker's position although this position may not be justified on the basis of all available information. Furthermore, if people fail to correct a wrong decision because they have overlooked potential risks and warning signals there may be serious negative consequences. To find an adequate decision alternative, an intensive and open-minded search, along with critical examination of the available information, is important. This seems especially true if new information crops up after making an initial decision, and so by correcting a wrong decision as early as possible one can avoid loss escalations. Although biased information seeking also has functional aspects such as preventing people from remaining indecisive and providing the capacity to act, in cases where a faulty decision has significant costs and where such consequences can be detected in advance, a strong bias in favor of the preferred or chosen alternative may increase the likelihood of bad outcomes. Because distortions in information search can be dangerous, the question arises of how people could be encouraged to undertake a balanced search for conflicting and supporting information. Furthermore, to what extent it is possible to identify conditions that enhance or counteract distortions in the search for information? In this chapter we give an overview of a large body of experiments regarding biased information seeking in decision-making. Additionally, we suggest a framework of motivational and cognitive bases for biased information seeking that helps to understand how and why different situational conditions lead to certain patterns in information search. After that we will discuss practical implications for decision-making and information seeking situations.