Confirmation Bias and Irrational Decision-Making: Implications for HRD in South Korea and Other Countries

Seeking diverse information is a necessary skill in democratic societies, but humans tend to have confirmation bias by resisting information that is contrary to their beliefs. Confirmation bias often leads to making irrational decisions that result in undesirable outcomes including financial losses in business and economic activities, failure to explore one’s own career potential, and political and ideological polarization. This study is a comparative analysis of contemporary issues associated with confirmation bias between South Korea and other countries based on a systematic review of 48 studies published in the past ten years. This synthesis of the literature has important implications for HRD practices that could incorporate confirmation bias training to help individuals mitigate their confirmation bias, broaden their horizons, and make more rational decisions.