CONFIRMATION BIAS

Confirmation Bias is the term used to describe the tendency to search for information to confirm a theory, while overlooking contradicting information. Thus, even if presented with facts which would allow correcting the mental model, a pilot will probably find it difficult to get out of his original interpretation. It can be likened to making the ground fit the map, rather than accepting the fact that we are lost. You could also look upon it as a tendency to ignore information that confirms a decision is a poor one.

• A good strategy to avoid confirmation bias is to actively search for information that could falsify the mental model of the current situation or for different interpretations of the given information.