Confirmation bias in managerial decision-making: an experimental study with managers and accountants

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the presence of confirmation bias in managers and accountants in a managerial decision-making process, as well as to analyze whether the manner in which economic-financial information is presented influences the confirmation bias of these individuals in their decisions. We used the experimental methodology to meet the objective of this research, applied to a sample of 86 accountants, 68 managers, and 118 people with several activities (control group). The results showed that most managers and accountants have confirmation bias in managerial decision-making processes, that type (positive or negative) and level (simple or complex) factors of information do not influence the confirmation bias in the managerial decision-making and that negative information may influence the confirmation bias in choosing the most significant information.