ERIC Number: EJ1220023
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1183-1189
EISSN: N/A
Internalizing Cognitive Bias: An Experiential Exercise for Teaching and Learning the Anchoring Effect
Kleefeld, John C.; Pohler, Dionne
Brock Education: A Journal of Educational Research and Practice, v28 n2 p33-47 2019
The ability to make good decisions is key to personal and professional success for students. In this case study, we outline a set of in-class exercises that we have used for students in business, law, human resources, and public policy to help them understand and internalize their susceptibility to cognitive errors. Specifically, we illustrate an experiential way to teach and learn the anchoring effect: a cognitive bias that causes decision-makers to rely too heavily on initial information when making subsequent judgments. We describe an anchoring exercise that can be easily adapted to various settings, and show its effectiveness in achieving the learning outcomes based on aggregated classroom data and our own experiences of student reactions. We show the robustness of the exercise to adaptation--including the various iterations of the exercise that have evolved over the course of our teaching--and highlight the challenges we encountered. We also discuss how the exercise can be used to encourage students to consider anchoring's ethical implications, as well as strategies to safeguard against being anchored.
Descriptors: Bias, Cognitive Style, Decision Making, Experiential Learning, Class Activities, Evaluative Thinking, Instructional Effectiveness, Professional Education, Deception, College Instruction, Foreign Countries
Brock University Faculty of Educatino. 500 Glenridge Avenue, Saint Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1 Canada. Tel: 905-688-5550 ext. 3733; e-mail: brocked@brocku.ca; Web site: http://brocked.ed.brocku.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada (Saskatoon)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

Peer reviewed
