What term describes the detective's presumption of guilt that leads to behaviors that confirm that belief?

• A. Behavioral confirmation
• B. Confirmation bias
• C. Hypothesis testing
• D. Cognitive dissonance

Answer: (A)

Behavioral confirmation describes how an observer’s expectation about someone can shape the observer’s own behavior in ways that elicit responses from that person that confirm the original expectation. In the detective scenario, the belief that the suspect is guilty leads the detective to interrogate more aggressively, focus on guilt cues, and interpret ambiguous statements as evidence of guilt. Those enacted behaviors and interpretations can prompt the suspect to respond with more guilt-signaling cues or to behave in ways that seem to support the belief, creating a self-fulfilling loop. This is distinct from confirmation bias, which is about selectively seeking or interpreting information to fit a belief without necessarily influencing the other person’s behavior.