{"title":"The erosion of rationality in high vulnerability conditions: A cognitive-disruption perspective","authors":"Traci Freling, Ritesh Saini, Zhiyong Yang","doi":"10.1002/cjas.1767","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research examines how a decision-maker's perceived vulnerability influences their susceptibility to the “anecdotal bias,” a phenomenon where statistical evidence is disregarded in favor of anecdotal information. Across six studies, our research shows that high vulnerability aggravates the anecdotal bias instead of reducing it. Study 1 provides preliminary evidence that high vulnerability exacerbates the anecdotal bias among individuals seeking decision-relevant information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies 2A and 2B demonstrate that high vulnerability intensifies the anecdotal bias in different decision contexts. Study 3 replicates these findings and identifies negative emotional arousal as a key mechanism underlying this effect. Study 4 examines the moderating role of personal relevance, showing that when individuals make decisions for others (vs. themselves), high vulnerability does not lead to the anecdotal bias. Moreover, it is cognitive disruption and intuitive thinking caused by negative emotional arousal that increases reliance on anecdotal (vs. statistical) information. Finally, Study 5 demonstrates the moderating effect of mindfulness meditation, highlighting its role as a preemptive safeguard against this biased behavior. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of these findings are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47349,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences-Revue Canadienne Des Sciences De L Administration","volume":"41 4","pages":"577-598"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cjas.1767","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences-Revue Canadienne Des Sciences De L Administration","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cjas.1767","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This research examines how a decision-maker's perceived vulnerability influences their susceptibility to the “anecdotal bias,” a phenomenon where statistical evidence is disregarded in favor of anecdotal information. Across six studies, our research shows that high vulnerability aggravates the anecdotal bias instead of reducing it. Study 1 provides preliminary evidence that high vulnerability exacerbates the anecdotal bias among individuals seeking decision-relevant information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies 2A and 2B demonstrate that high vulnerability intensifies the anecdotal bias in different decision contexts. Study 3 replicates these findings and identifies negative emotional arousal as a key mechanism underlying this effect. Study 4 examines the moderating role of personal relevance, showing that when individuals make decisions for others (vs. themselves), high vulnerability does not lead to the anecdotal bias. Moreover, it is cognitive disruption and intuitive thinking caused by negative emotional arousal that increases reliance on anecdotal (vs. statistical) information. Finally, Study 5 demonstrates the moderating effect of mindfulness meditation, highlighting its role as a preemptive safeguard against this biased behavior. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
期刊介绍:
The Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences (CJAS) is a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed, international quarterly that publishes manuscripts with a strong theoretical foundation. The journal welcomes literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative studies as well as conceptual pieces. CJAS is an ISI-listed journal that publishes papers in all key disciplines of business. CJAS is a particularly suitable home for manuscripts of a crossdisciplinary nature. All papers must state in an explicit and compelling way their unique contribution to advancing theory and/or practice in the administrative sciences.