Confirmation bias

Definition

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. This bias can significantly affect various cognitive processes, leading individuals to overlook contradictory evidence and reinforcing their current perspectives.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Confirmation bias can lead to flawed decision-making as individuals ignore or dismiss information that contradicts their beliefs, often resulting in poorer outcomes.
2. This bias is particularly prevalent in emotionally charged topics, such as politics and religion, where people are more likely to seek out information that supports their views.
3. Research shows that confirmation bias can affect memory recall, causing individuals to remember supportive information more vividly than contradictory evidence.
4. Individuals may actively seek out groups or communities that reinforce their beliefs, further entrenching their perspectives and isolating them from opposing viewpoints.
5. Confirmation bias can have significant implications for critical thinking and problem-solving, as it limits one’s ability to consider alternative solutions or viewpoints.

Review Questions

• How does confirmation bias impact the way individuals process information when faced with conflicting evidence?
  • Confirmation bias impacts information processing by causing individuals to favor and recall evidence that aligns with their preexisting beliefs while dismissing or downplaying contradictory information. This selective attention leads to a skewed understanding of reality, making it difficult for individuals to change their opinions or consider alternative viewpoints. The result is a reinforcement of existing beliefs, which can hinder effective problem-solving and critical thinking.
• In what ways might confirmation bias influence decision-making strategies in uncertain situations?
  • In uncertain situations, confirmation bias can heavily influence decision-making strategies by steering individuals toward information that supports their initial assumptions. This selective information gathering may result in overconfidence in their decisions and potentially lead to poor choices. As individuals rely on confirming evidence rather than a balanced view, they may ignore crucial data that could alter the outcome of their decisions, demonstrating how this bias distorts rational judgment under uncertainty.
• Evaluate the role of confirmation bias in shaping societal attitudes towards stereotypes and discrimination.
  • Confirmation bias plays a significant role in shaping societal attitudes towards stereotypes and discrimination by reinforcing existing prejudices and limiting exposure to counter-evidence. When individuals hold stereotypes about a group, they are more likely to notice behaviors that confirm those stereotypes while ignoring behaviors that contradict them. This can perpetuate discriminatory practices and societal divisions as confirmation bias leads people to align themselves with others who share similar views, further entrenching these biases in social norms and cultural narratives.

Related terms

cognitive dissonance: A psychological phenomenon where individuals experience discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, often leading to an alteration in one of the beliefs to reduce the dissonance.

heuristics: Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb that simplify decision-making processes but can also lead to cognitive biases, including confirmation bias.

self-serving bias:

The tendency to attribute positive events to one’s own character but attribute negative events to external factors, often reinforcing existing beliefs about oneself.