Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation
Although it is well established that our thinking can often be biased, the precise cognitive mechanisms underlying these biases are still debated. The present study builds on recent research showing that biased reasoners often seem aware that their reasoning is incorrect; they show signs of conflict...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000169182100072X |
| _version_ | 1818647221307965440 |
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| author | Eva M. Janssen Samuël B. Velinga Wim de Neys Tamara van Gog |
| author_facet | Eva M. Janssen Samuël B. Velinga Wim de Neys Tamara van Gog |
| author_sort | Eva M. Janssen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although it is well established that our thinking can often be biased, the precise cognitive mechanisms underlying these biases are still debated. The present study builds on recent research showing that biased reasoners often seem aware that their reasoning is incorrect; they show signs of conflict detection. One important shortcoming in this research is that the conflict detection effect has only been studied with classic problem-solving tasks, requiring people to make a decision themselves. However, in many reasoning situations people are confronted with decisions already made by others. Therefore, the present study (N = 159) investigated whether conflict detection occurs not only during reasoning on problem-solving tasks (i.e., decision-making), but also on vignette tasks, requiring participants to evaluate decisions made by others. We analyzed participants' conflict detection sensitivity on confidence and response time measures. Results showed that conflict detection occurred during both decision-making and decision-evaluation, as indicated by a decreased confidence. The response time index appeared to be a less reliable measure of conflict detection on the novel tasks. These findings are very relevant for studying reasoning in contexts in which recognizing reasoning errors is important; for instance, in education where teachers have to give feedback on students' reasoning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T00:59:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-587eada41a454d0aba697eb6ae7ad177 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T00:59:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj.art-587eada41a454d0aba697eb6ae7ad1772022-12-21T22:09:32ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182021-06-01217103322Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluationEva M. Janssen0Samuël B. Velinga1Wim de Neys2Tamara van Gog3Department of Education, Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Corresponding author at: Department of Education, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands.Department of Education, Utrecht University, the NetherlandsUniversité de Paris, UMR CNRS 8240 LaPsyDÉ, FranceDepartment of Education, Utrecht University, the NetherlandsAlthough it is well established that our thinking can often be biased, the precise cognitive mechanisms underlying these biases are still debated. The present study builds on recent research showing that biased reasoners often seem aware that their reasoning is incorrect; they show signs of conflict detection. One important shortcoming in this research is that the conflict detection effect has only been studied with classic problem-solving tasks, requiring people to make a decision themselves. However, in many reasoning situations people are confronted with decisions already made by others. Therefore, the present study (N = 159) investigated whether conflict detection occurs not only during reasoning on problem-solving tasks (i.e., decision-making), but also on vignette tasks, requiring participants to evaluate decisions made by others. We analyzed participants' conflict detection sensitivity on confidence and response time measures. Results showed that conflict detection occurred during both decision-making and decision-evaluation, as indicated by a decreased confidence. The response time index appeared to be a less reliable measure of conflict detection on the novel tasks. These findings are very relevant for studying reasoning in contexts in which recognizing reasoning errors is important; for instance, in education where teachers have to give feedback on students' reasoning.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000169182100072XReasoning and decision-makingDecision-evaluationHeuristics and biasesConflict detection |
| spellingShingle | Eva M. Janssen Samuël B. Velinga Wim de Neys Tamara van Gog Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation Acta Psychologica Reasoning and decision-making Decision-evaluation Heuristics and biases Conflict detection |
| title | Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation |
| title_full | Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation |
| title_short | Recognizing biased reasoning: Conflict detection during decision-making and decision-evaluation |
| title_sort | recognizing biased reasoning conflict detection during decision making and decision evaluation |
| topic | Reasoning and decision-making Decision-evaluation Heuristics and biases Conflict detection |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000169182100072X |
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