Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is our inherent tendency to favor information that supports our existing beliefs while discounting contradictory evidence. This cognitive bias manifests in three primary ways: biased information search (seeking confirming evidence), biased interpretation (interpreting ambiguous information as supportive), and biased memory recall (remembering confirming evidence more readily). This bias serves as a mental shortcut but often leads to polarized viewpoints, reinforced misconceptions, and resistance to changing beliefs even when presented with robust contrary evidence. Combating confirmation bias requires deliberately seeking disconfirming evidence and establishing systematic decision-making processes that challenge our intuitions.