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A man has had 4 accidents in the past month, but continues to believe he is a good driver. This is due to a) overconfidence

b) belief perseverance
c) memory schemata
d) confirmation bias

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The scenario where a man persists in believing he's a good driver despite multiple accidents is an example of confirmation bias, where he overlooks contradictory evidence and emphasizes what supports his belief.

Step-by-step explanation:

The confirmation bias is a cognitive bias where individuals tend to look for, interpret, favor, and recall information that substantiates their existing beliefs. In the scenario described, despite having had four accidents in the past month, a man continues to believe he is a good driver. This exemplifies confirmation bias, as he likely disregards evidence of his poor driving and instead focuses on any information that could still confirm his belief in his driving skills. The other options presented are not as relevant:

  • Overconfidence deals with a person's inflated belief in their own abilities but does not specifically address the discounting of conflicting evidence.
  • Belief perseverance implies clinging to one's initial belief despite new information, but does not necessarily involve the active search for confirming evidence.
  • Memory schemata refers to patterns of thought or behavior but does not directly relate to the disregard of contradicting evidence.

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