Confirmation bias can be a barrier to efficient knowledge acquisition and delivery method selection, two integral aspects of instructional design. But what is confirmation bias? It refers to our tendency to interpret and remember information in a manner that confirms our preconceived beliefs while giving minimal consideration to other possibilities. In other words, it’s a bias that shows up when you subconsciously sort through information and observation and filter out everything except what supports what you think you already know. 

Recently I saw an interesting image on Reddit. User /Salem-Witch used Google incognito mode and asked the question “Why is ____ so…?” for states in the US and provinces in Canada, then let Google auto complete the searches. Salem-Witch then plotted the top three results of each on this image that turned up on my front page.

Included with permission from Reddit user /Salem-Witch

Needless to say I skipped right to New Jersey and commiserated. Yes, why is it so expensive here? I don’t agree that it’s trashy and bad, but I recognize that is how many people perceive it, a perception fueled by television and in movies. New Jersey tourism potential aside, what’s notable about this data visualization is that the question asked was “Why is Wisconsin so humid, drunk and cold?” not “Is Wisconsin humid, drunk and cold?” That’s confirmation bias at work.

So this is interesting but what does it have to do with instructional design? A lot, as it happens. Confirmation bias can negatively affect the quality of instructional design by inappropriately filtering the content of a course or limiting the selection of delivery method.

As IDs, we are often tasked with synthesizing a great deal of information from a variety of sources in a short amount of time. We make decisions about what information supports our learning objectives. The information may come from documentation, from subject matter experts, or from existing courseware. If biases toward content sources skew the value we place on information, it can alter the key messages of the course and deprive our learners of relevant content. It’s also possible that we let an affinity for a certain topic overshadow other topics we’re less interested in by spending more time researching the former and unconsciously convincing ourselves that because we have so much content about it that the latter topic is less important.

Another danger zone for confirmation bias is delivery mode. Admit it — you have a biases regarding delivery method, don’t you? Probably just about every instructional designer does. Maybe that train wreck of a compliance program soured you on eLearning forever, or The World’s Most Boring Facilitator led your onboarding session. As IDs our conscious brains tell us that it’s the audience, content, and environment that suggest the right delivery method(s), not our preferences, yet still we may view course outcomes through a prism of our preferences, sorting in what conforms to our opinions and sorting out what suggests something different.

With experience and in a face-paced production environment it’s tempting to make more decisions based on practiced gut instinct. My message is simple – remain mindful of your choices and ensure that the decisions you’re making are grounded in solid principles of instructional design. Keep your biases in check!