Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that refers to the tendency of people to seek out, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports their pre-existing beliefs or values. This bias can lead to poor decision-making in various contexts, including interpersonal relationships, medical diagnoses, or applications of the law. Confirmation bias is often unintentional but can still have serious implications for our ability to seek objective facts.
Some key features of confirmation bias include:
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Selective collection of evidence: This refers to the tendency to selectively collect evidence that supports what one already believes while ignoring or rejecting evidence that supports a different conclusion.
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Interpretation of evidence: This refers to the tendency to interpret evidence in ways that support pre-existing beliefs, expectations, or hypotheses.
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Recall of evidence: This refers to the tendency to recall information from memory in a way that supports pre-existing beliefs.
Confirmation bias is a result of automatic, unintentional strategies rather than deliberate deception. It cannot be avoided or eliminated, but only managed by improving education and critical thinking skills. To avoid confirmation bias, it is important to recognize our vulnerability to it and take steps to minimize its effects.
