Confirmation Bias Leads to a Biased Search for Evidence

Confirmation bias is the pervasive human tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. It is a form of biased search that leads us to look for evidence that proves we are right, rather than evidence that might prove us wrong.

This manifests in several ways:

1. Biased Search Queries: When using search engines, we tend to type in queries that reflect what we already believe (e.g., searching for "vaccines cause autism" instead of "vaccine safety evidence"). This leads to results that reinforce our initial stance.
2. Selective Attention: We pay more attention to information that supports our views and tend to ignore or quickly dismiss information that challenges them.
3. Biased Interpretation: We interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting our existing position.
4. Ignoring Contradictory Evidence: As demonstrated by the Wason selection task, we often fail to seek out the very information that could falsify our hypothesis, which is a cornerstone of logical reasoning.

Confirmation bias is not a flaw found only in misbelievers; it is a fundamental aspect of human cognition. It is an efficient, if not always accurate, way to process information. However, in the context of misbelief, it becomes a powerful engine for self-deception, allowing individuals to build a seemingly robust case for their beliefs while systematically ignoring all evidence to the contrary.

Tags: #psychology #cognition #bias #confirmation-bias #search #evidence #wason-selection-task