Let's first start out by talking about confirmation bias before we start relating it to how we interpret data. Confirmation bias is "people’s tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs" (Britannica, 2023). We all have our own biases based on our preexisting beliefs, and many of us may not always realize when we use bias. When it comes to working with data, we also may find it useful to explain our results in a way that fits our assigned narrative for personal or business reasons. For example, who wants to say a business is performing poorly in front of its shareholders when releasing a quarterly earnings report? As many CEOs know, it's best to pad this news with other items that help distract shareholders from selling their shares and investing in someone else. In terms of data analysis, Forbes (2022) explains this concept by saying, "The data scientist would prioritize the findings that confirm an initial hypothesis while disregarding observations that contradict it. If the data is ambiguous or vague, confirmation bias motivates the researcher to "distort" it to fit the narrative that they are trying to push. Further, even if all data sets are considered, some of the steps necessary to achieving an objective analysis might be slightly neglected or summarily ignored." What about a real-world example? I'm a big movie fan, and part of the reason is that the movie industry is so interesting from a business perspective. One of my fa
What is data confirmation bias?
Let's first start out by talking about confirmation bias before we start relating it to how we interpret data. Confirmation bias is "people’s tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs" (Britannica, 2023). We all have our own biases based on our preexisting beliefs, and many of us may not always realize when we use bias. When it comes to working with data, we also may find it useful to explain our results in a way that fits our assigned narrative for personal or business reasons. For example, who wants to say a business is performing poorly in front of its shareholders when releasing a quarterly earnings report? As many CEOs know, it's best to pad this news with other items that help distract shareholders from selling their shares and investing in someone else. In terms of data analysis, Forbes (2022) explains this concept by saying, "The data scientist would prioritize the findings that confirm an initial hypothesis while disregarding observations that contradict it. If the data is ambiguous or vague, confirmation bias motivates the researcher to "distort" it to fit the narrative that they are trying to push. Further, even if all data sets are considered, some of the steps necessary to achieving an objective analysis might be slightly neglected or summarily ignored."
What about a real-world example?
I'm a big movie fan, and part of the reason is that the movie industry is so interesting from a business perspective. One of my favorite arguments for any big tent-pole movie is whether it is a "box office success" or a "box office flop" according to the entertainment trades (Deadline, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, etc.). While most of the time journalists and actors/actresses try to remain impartial, they can sometimes twist the numbers to generate positive or negative talking points. My favorite example of this in the past year or so is Black Adam, which was a Dwayne ("The Rock") Johnson movie released in October 2022. Below are two articles from the top two entertainment trades that were posted two days apart with different interpretations of the same box office numbers:
Deadline: Dwayne Johnson DC Pic ‘Black Adam’ To Profit: Here’s HowLinks to an external site.
Variety: Box Office Bust: ‘Black Adam’ Faces Theatrical LossesLinks to an external site.
answer the following in COMPLETE SENTENCES:
(1) Was data conformation bias used in both articles? What examples of data confirmation bias did you recognize? Use excerpts from the articles to articulate your arguments.
(2) Research "Black Adam Box Office" on Google and find an example of an article that reported the same news with minimal or no bias.
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps
