John is a sexist who believes that women are incompetent business managers because they are "not temperamentally suited to the aggressive nature of the business world." He notices every mistake his female managers make, but never seems to see their numerous successes. With each new mistake he notices, John becomes even more convinced of the incompetence of female managers. John's sexism is being maintained by the ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John's sexism is being maintained by the confirmation bias, which is the tendency to selectively attend to information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs while ignoring information that contradicts those beliefs. John is selectively attending to the mistakes his female managers make while ignoring their successes, which confirms his belief that women are incompetent business managers.

John Is a Sexist Who Believes That Women Are Incompetent