JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT POLICY AND PRACTICE
Seeing What You Want to See: Perceptual Biases of Auditors
Author(s): Larry M. Parker, Timothy J. Fogarty
Citation: Larry M. Parker, Timothy J. Fogarty, (2012) "Seeing What You Want to See: Perceptual Biases of Auditors" Journal of Management Policy and Practice, Vol. 13, Iss. 2, pp. 11 - 25
Article Type: Research paper
Publisher: North American Business Press
Abstract:
How auditors perceive evidential material lies at the heart of the value of the audit. The belief that
accounting and business information has an objective meaning that can be reliably and consistently
interpreted is foundational for the value of the auditor’s work-product to users. This study tests this
bedrock proposition with an experiment administered to a large number of auditors from several
accounting firms. The results show that internal control predispositions are highly consequential for
accounts payable judgments. Statistical analysis of the data suggests that auditors seek to avoid cognitive
dissonance. They also fall prey to the self-fulfilling prophecy.