Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike F
I think that there are times when people will take a strong, vocal stance on an issue that they have to defend at the outset. From that point on, they'll watch games looking for examples that back up the opinion they voiced. It's called confirmation bias, and it's a well documented phenomenon.
They then get in more arguments, entrenching their position, making them even more eager to find support.
In this way, even if they're fans of a team, they can work their way into a position where it's more satisfying to them for a player to fail.
Couple that with an inability to let contrary opinions go by without comment, and a once well meaning fan ends up clogging threads and looking like a troll. |
I agree with you thoughts and the theory of confirmation bias. Ashax's and a few others are definitely falling victim to this on the "Sven needs to be in the NHL" side of this debate for sure.
I also don't think anyone has really ever vocally called Sven garbage with enough vigor for a long enough period of time to feel they'd be falling victim to this on the other side of the argument. However, there are certainly enough folks taking the management and the coaches are handling him just fine side of the argument to bring confirmation bias into that element of the argument, but when Sven has contributed as little as he as in recent memory in both the AHL and NHL level, is there really anyway that confirmation bias impacts this? Things would need to be a lot "closer" to the other side of the argument to create a situation where confirmation bias on this front could be a factor, no?