Primitive reward-driven behaviors may bias the information people choose to sample

Public Release: 11-Nov-2016
Primitive reward-driven behaviors may bias the information people choose to sample
Pavlovian approach, like confirmation bias, may underlie behaviors that seem irrational
PLOS

The way people make decisions often seems irrational. One explanation for this behavior is that they seek evidence that confirms what they already believe, a phenomenon called 'confirmation bias'. But new research in open-access journal PLOS Biology suggests that confirmation bias may not be the only factor that influences how people sample information. The tendency to choose items associated with rewards--known as 'Pavlovian approach' --can also bias the information people choose to sample, according to Laurence Hunt from University College London, United Kingdom, and his colleagues.

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