Name a common cognitive bias that can affect decision making.

• A. Hindsight bias
• B. Anchoring bias
• C. Availability heuristic
• D. Confirmation bias, where one favors information that confirms preconceptions.

Answer: (D)

Cognitive biases shape how we interpret information and make decisions. Confirmation bias specifically causes people to favor information that confirms their preconceptions, while discounting evidence that contradicts them. This tendency can lead to skewed decisions across many contexts because it narrows the evidence considered and reinforces existing beliefs, even when faced with contradictory data. It is a common and pervasive bias, which is why it best fits the prompt. The other biases operate differently: hindsight bias involves interpreting past events after outcomes are known; anchoring bias ties judgments to an initial reference point; the availability heuristic relies on how easily examples come to mind.