Dear tipsters
I need help with the confirmation bias and how the responses of the majority of students faced with the original Wason Card Selection Task illustrate that bias. The example in the book is: Suppose that each of the cards below has a number on one side and a letter on the other, and someone tells you: “If a card has a vowel on one side, then it has an even number on the other side.” Which one(s) of the cards would you need to turn over to decide whether the person is lying? E K 4 7 To be clear, I totally understand what the confirmation bias is [tendency to search for and interpret information in ways that supports one’s existing beliefs or expectations] and what the correct answer to the Wason Card Task is, and why [E and 7—modus ponens and modus tollens, respectively]. According to secondary sources [a gen psych and a social psych text], Wason and Johnson-Laird (1972) found the two most comment responses to be turning over both cards E and 4, and turning over just card E. These secondary sources say that these responses [E and 4, and just E] illustrate the confirmation bias without explaining how these responses illustrate the bias. Turning over the card E could result in finding a 4 –an outcome that would confirm the rule, but it could result in finding a 7 if the rule is false. Because this option could potentially confirm or disconfirm the rule I don’t see this choice as a definite confirmation strategy. I can see how choosing 4 would potentially confirm the rule, even though affirming the consequent is not a valid argument. Turning over the 4 and finding an E would confirm the hypothesis. Am I missing something obvious regarding as two how both the E only and E and 4 combination are a clear example of the confirmation bias? Please help. -- Dr. Julie A. Osland, M.A., Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology Wheeling Jesuit University 316 Washington Avenue Wheeling, WV 26003 Office: (304) 243-2329 e-mail: [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=21533 or send a blank email to leave-21533-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
