Master the 2026 Senior Design Ethics Challenge – Design Your Success with Confidence!

Sympathy bias arises when an expert's favorable feelings towards one party influence their judgment and decision-making. This bias can lead to a distortion of objectivity, as the expert may unconsciously favor the opinions, information, or arguments put forth by the party they feel sympathetic towards. In professional settings, such as engineering or design, an expert may inadvertently skew their analysis or recommendations to align more closely with the views of the sympathetic party, rather than remaining neutral. This can compromise the integrity of their work and impact the outcomes of projects.

The recognition of sympathy bias is crucial in ethical decision-making, as it underscores the importance of maintaining impartiality, especially in scenarios where expert judgment is critical for stakeholder outcomes. Acknowledging this bias helps to mitigate its effects, fostering a more balanced and ethically sound approach to expert evaluation and advice.