Agatha Harkness-Smythe is determined to ban guns in the United States. This is a controversial topic and social scientists have debated whether the ownership of guns by citizens increases or decreases crime
Agatha could go to the library and look up studies on the linkage between guns and crime rates. Instead, Agatha just reads the local newspaper and only cuts out articles about robberies in which the "bad guy" used a firearm. Agatha is demonstrating:
A) mental set
B) confirmation bias
C) stereotype threat
D) mindlessness
Answer: B
Rationale: Confirmation bias occurs when an individual searches for evidence that will confirm his or her beliefs instead of evidence that might disconfirm them.
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