What Is Confirmation Bias? | Definition & Examples

Some information supports existing belief while ignoring facts and commonly favour by us at places of biasness. This is known as confirmation bias at work. It is a powerful psychological term that affects existing knowledge and information. Confirmation bias in decision making can contradict existing judgement. Whether it is social topics, meetings, making business decisions, or some controversial topic confirmation bias can change their opinions. In this blog post we will explore some confirmation bias definitions, types of confirmation bias, how to avoid confirmation bias and real world examples of confirmation bias. Understanding this critical and complex term assists in taking relevant decisions quickly.

What Is Confirmation Bias? A Simple Definition

We all have that tendency to search, recall some facts and interpret existing knowledge in some way that can change the thinking attitude and decision of one’s pre-existing person. It leads individuals to give more importance to evidence that supports their views. This is a natural tendency of human behaviour to help complex processes quickly. The confirmation bias definition is an embedded part of cognitive psychology which refers to a mental shortcut that causes people to favour content that confirms what they already believe to be true, at the same time opposing opposite viewpoints.

How Confirmation Bias Affects Your Thinking

Confirmation bias can affect our thinking as you tend to remember the information that supports your beliefs and forget the rest of facts. Normally we often reject or reinterpret the information to align with our core thinking and beliefs. Confirmation bias in psychology is a well documented term that influences and changes the thinking attitude and how we perceive reality. Some view it as a form of motivated reasoning and inclined to protect our core beliefs. Psychologists believe this bias assists in maintaining mental stability and self esteem. But this cost critical thinking and some objective level of thinking.

Types of Confirmation Bias Explained

Understanding the types of confirmation bias can assist you in recognizing how it works in daily time intervals. There are three main types of confirmation bias explained below:

1. Biased Interpretation of Information: In the case of neutral and contradictory proof, individuals may interpret it in their own favour. For example, four individuals with opposing political beliefs may view the same debate and think that their group person will win in the election.

2. Biased Search for Information: In this type of confirmation bias an individual seeks out information that supports his beliefs while ignoring existing fact and source of information. For example: Doctors who believe in medicines might read only articles that praise it and ignore opposite thinking.

3. Biased memory recap: Many beliefs provide information that supports their beliefs more vividly and for the long term. Over the period this can reinforce the bias and strongly supports particular policy that is likely the part of existing facts, statistics and forget rest of information.

4. Confirmation bias in Psychology: Confirmation bias in psychology can influence existing decisions and change reality. This is called motivated reasoning and our brain is not neutral processors therefore it is inclined to protect our core beliefs. These types of confirmation bias often reject or reinterpret the information to align with our thoughts.

Real-Life Examples of Confirmation Bias

To better understand the term confirmation bias let us look at common confirmation bias examples across real life areas:

1. Health Beliefs examples: Someone who is knowledgeable about vaccines might seek out anecdotal stories or websites that support their knowledge and concerns. These people ignore peer reviewed scientific studies and prove vaccine efficacy.

2. Politics real examples: A liberal person or conservative person may focus or follow news areas and social media accounts that meet their views. The result of such focus is they are continually exposed to confirm information and ignore hearing opposing viewpoints.

3. Business related examples: In business organisation, a high profile person may believe a business strategy that will lead to increment in profits. They may focus on only data that supports their beliefs and dismiss information that thinks the opposite. This results in faulty business decisions and loss of profits for the company.

4. Sports areas examples: Fans in sports areas may believe the referees are biased against the team. They only know the calls that went against them and not remember the ones that were favoured by them. This is the classic case of a real world example of confirmation bias that influences current emotional investment.

Why Do People Experience Confirmation Bias?

People experience confirmation bias because of following is common;

1. Emotional comfort: Confirmation Bias is often tied with past experiences, values and identity. People favor confirming knowledge and people protect their feelings.

2. Desire for consistency: This is common that many people are psychologically thinks and desire to maintain internal consistency. This confirmation bias assists in reducing tension by filtering out challenging information.

3. Overconfidence and self justification: People like to believe what they are thinking and believe is right and this confirmation bias supports this belief by validating their past decisions and opinions.

4. Social influence: All living beings are social creatures and aligning with norms of society maintain social cohesion. Confirmation bias reinforces several identities, especially in communities and common religion.

The Impact of Confirmation Bias on Decision-Making

In day to day life, confirmation bias in decision making can be horrible decisions part, dangerous and especially when high stock decisions are involved such as:

1. Legal judgements: Judges may believe early theories about the suspect's guilt and view all evidence through that viewpoint, overlooking the under-decision areas.

2. Hiring and Recruitment: Recruiters in organizations may form first impressions based on candidate appearance and resume. In the next step they can look for confirmation signs during the interview and ignore red flags.

3. Medical Diagnosis: Doctors can fall into some level of trap of premature closure, diagnosing a patient early and then at last supporting the conclusion leading to misdiagnosis.

How to Identify and Avoid Confirmation Bias

In real life it is difficult to eliminate confirmation bias entirely, there are some techniques and strategies that can help you in reducing the impact of confirmation bias at time of decision making.

1. Diversify your information sources: Read all posts and articles, listen to social media communication, and follow some social media accounts that belong from multiple areas. Exposure and making insights into different sources can balance your thinking concept.

2. Actively believe disconfirming evidence: Train and guide yourself to look for the challenges that are part of your beliefs, ask yourself: What evidence would prove yourself wrong?

3. Invite Constructive Criticism: Encourage feedback from other people who don’t believe in you and do not agree with your decisions. Diversity in thought can act as a safety tool against biased reasoning.

4. Engage in Reflective thinking: Try to slow down your thinking process and reflect on why you believe in something. Give yourself a challenge in some decisions and find the answer whether your reason is based on facts or not.

Confirmation Bias in Research and Everyday Life

Let’s as look real world examples of confirmation bias in research and everyday life that demonstrates how this bias change and work on public behaviour and their thinking capacity

1. Covid-19 and misinformation: During this pandemic time many false and misinformation fueled in the minds of people. Individuals starting to share information and posts that are likely to belief that Covid-19 was the hoax.

2. Climate change debate: Sometimes those belief in short term weather patterns ignore climate change and long term climate data. They just interpret isolated events as proof against the natural cases.

3. Financial markets and investment areas: Investors hold their investment during underperforming stock because they selectively focus on predictions and optimistic views that support their original investment choice. These generally ignore negative trends and ignore warnings.

Conclusion

At last Confirmation bias is the natural tendency of making interpret, seek and recall data and information that confirms existing knowledge. Understanding what confirmation bias is is and knowing its process is the first step towards critical thinking in areas of personal thinking, business and politics. By acknowledging confirmation bias definition, types of confirmation bias, examining confirmation bias examples, learning how to avoid confirmation bias and result into more objective thinking and make better informed decisions.