Definition
A cognitive bias in which a person, after making a decision, tends to remember and describe the chosen option more favorably than is justified, while downplaying or forgetting its drawbacks. In aviation human factors, it is identified as one of the decision-making errors that can prevent a pilot from objectively re-evaluating a choice already made.
Plain English
Once you have made a decision, your mind tends to defend it. You remember the good points of what you chose and forget the bad points, even if the facts have not really changed.
Context Anchor
Seen in aeronautical decision-making, risk management, and accident-prevention discussions.
Derivation
From 'choice' (the option selected) and 'supportive' (acting to back something up). The term describes a bias that supports a choice already made — the mind props up the decision after the fact rather than judging it on fresh evidence.
Why Pilots Care
This bias can prevent pilots from honestly evaluating their choices, leading to repeated errors in judgment.
Analogy
It is similar to insisting that the route you chose for a trip was the best one, even when traffic made it longer than another option.
Grounding Statement
A pilot affected by choice-supportive bias may defend the original plan even after new information shows that a safer plan is available.
Intuition Check
Choice-supportive bias is not the same as confidence. Confidence can be based on good information; this bias is defending a choice mainly because it is already your choice.
Example Sentence 1
After choosing to continue the flight rather than divert, the pilot fell into choice-supportive bias and kept recalling reasons the route looked fine, while overlooking the worsening ceilings ahead.
Example Sentence 2
Recognizing choice-supportive bias helps a pilot review a go-around decision more objectively during debrief.