ABSTRACT
Tech writing means decision-making – choosing between what to use and what to leave out. We make hundreds of decisions and judgments everyday. Noticing and remembering information and events that support the beliefs we already have about something, while simultaneously failing to notice or remember information or events to the contrary, are called Confirmation Bias. Our beliefs and judgment – clouded by biases and misconceptions – form our reality. We perceive the world through our preexisting values that constantly impose order upon the perceived chaos. As a matter of fact, writers do fall victim to this bias a lot when their writing gets subconsciously wrapped around their core beliefs and create a totally detached perspective than that of their reader’s. Cognitive conservatism is seen as a close cousin of confirmation bias. It refers to the humans’ natural reluctance to admit mistakes or update beliefs. Cognitive biases do not have a short list and they must be considered as a hazard and treated proactively by looking for disconfirming evidence. Independence of judgment can hardly be declared.
