Biased information search in homogeneous groups: Confidence as a moderator for the effect of anticipated task requirements
Kerschreiter, Schulz-Hardt, Mojzisch and Frey ran three experiments with three-person groups whose members had each already chosen the same option on a policy question, one experiment using trainee sergeants and two using school and college students. Each group could request any number of ten expert statements, five supporting and five opposing its preliminary decision, and was told it would either write an essay justifying the decision or take part in a debate refuting counterarguments. Across all experiments the groups strongly preferred supporting information. Moderately confident groups searched in a balanced way or favoured opposing information when they expected to rebut counterarguments, while highly confident groups favoured supporting information whichever task they expected. In Experiment 2 confidence was manipulated rather than only measured, and the same pattern appeared.
Kerschreiter, Schulz-Hardt, Mojzisch and Frey ran three experiments with three-person groups whose members had each already chosen the same option on a policy question, one experiment using trainee sergeants and two using school and college students. Each group could request any number of ten expert statements, five supporting and five opposing its preliminary decision, and was told it would either write an essay justifying the decision or take part in a debate refuting counterarguments. Across all experiments the groups strongly preferred supporting information. Moderately confident groups searched in a balanced way or favoured opposing information when they expected to rebut counterarguments, while highly confident groups favoured supporting information whichever task they expected. In Experiment 2 confidence was manipulated rather than only measured, and the same pattern appeared.
Written from the full text of the authors' manuscript (LMU Munich repository) and journal abstract via Hildesheim repository, 2026-11-01.
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Kerschreiter, R., Schulz-Hardt, S., Mojzisch, A., & Frey, D. (2008). Biased information search in homogeneous groups: Confidence as a moderator for the effect of anticipated task requirements. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(5), 679-691. doi:10.1177/0146167207313934 https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167207313934