In cognitive psychology, an anchoring bias occurs when you focus on ________.

• A. the first piece of information encountered when making a decision
• B. the most recent information you have received
• C. information that confirms your existing beliefs
• D. irrelevant details unrelated to the decision

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that anchoring bias is a cognitive bias where an individual relies too heavily on an initial piece of information (the 'anchor') when making decisions.
2. Recognize that this bias causes the first piece of information encountered to disproportionately influence subsequent judgments or decisions.
3. Compare the options given: the first piece of information, the most recent information, information confirming existing beliefs, and irrelevant details.
4. Recall that anchoring bias specifically refers to the influence of the initial information, not recent or confirmatory information.
5. Conclude that the correct completion of the sentence is: 'the first piece of information encountered when making a decision.'