When one seeks out preferred information to confirm in agreement to one’s belief.

AI: Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or hypotheses while disregarding contradictory evidence. It is a cognitive shortcut that causes people to perceive reality selectively, reinforcing existing opinions, stereotypes, and self-deception.

Key Aspects of Confirmation Bias

• Biased Search: Actively seeking out information that supports a current viewpoint, such as focusing on news sources that align with a specific political ideology.
• Biased Interpretation: Twisting or interpreting ambiguous evidence to support a preconceived opinion.
• Biased Memory: Selectively recalling memories that reinforce a current belief while forgetting contradicting instances.

Common Examples

• Relationships: If you believe your partner is distant, you will notice every time they fail to text back, while ignoring times they are affectionate.
• Medicine: A doctor may fixate on symptoms that support an early diagnosis, overlooking warning signs of a different, accurate condition.
• Social Media: People often interact only with posts that match their opinions, creating “echo chambers” where their views are constantly validated, leading to the spread of misinformation.

Why It Happens
Confirmation bias acts as a “rule of thumb” (heuristic) that helps the brain process information quickly, but it leads to poor decision-making and overconfidence. It is, as Francis Bacon described it in 1620, a “pernicious predetermination” that causes people to hold onto beliefs even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

How to Reduce It

• Actively seek disconfirmation: Look for information that disproves your current beliefs rather than just confirming them.
• Consider alternatives: Consciously ask, “What if I am wrong?”
• Use Devil’s Advocate: Challenge your own conclusions to avoid “black swan” events or costly, flawed decisions.