In today's world, conflicting information, goals, and stakeholders are a common reality. Managers, for instance, may find themselves feeling both positive and negative about various actions and decisions, such as mergers, downsizing, or restructuring their organization. While ambivalence is traditionally seen as a negative influence on decision-making, our recent research shows that it can actually be beneficial.
Ambivalence encourages us to consider a wider range of information, promoting balance in the decision-making process and reducing one-sided thinking. When we experience ambivalence, we are aware of both the positive and negative aspects of our options, which helps us see the pros and cons of each option more clearly. Our recent study found that people who are high in trait ambivalence tend to make more balanced and fair judgments of other people.
Moreover, we examined whether ambivalence could prevent one of the strongest cognitive biases that affect decision-making: confirmation bias. Confirmation bias occurs when individuals seek out information that supports their preexisting beliefs while ignoring information that contradicts them. This bias can lead to costly mistakes in organizational settings, such as overlooking warning signs about a product's safety or an employee's behavior.
In our study, we found that people higher in trait ambivalence, who experience ambivalence more often, tend to show less confirmation bias in their decision-making and information search. Thus, this study suggests that people who are more ambivalent may be better decision-makers because they are more likely to consider all available information, even if it goes against their preexisting beliefs.
In conclusion, in some cases, ambivalence may have a positive impact on decision-making, enhancing the quality and effectiveness of decisions. By recognizing the potential benefits of ambivalence and reducing confirmation bias, organizations can make more informed and balanced decisions that lead to better outcomes.
Hohnsbehn, J., Urschler, D. & Schneider, I.K. (2022). Torn but Balanced: Trait Ambivalence is Negatively Related to Confirmation. Personality and Individual Differences.
Read the full paper here.
