EOTO #2: Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is when someone uses information to confirm their pre-existing views or beliefs. It is a subconcious natural instinct to aid in proving ourselves right. Confirmation bias can have several negative impacts on individuals and society as a whole. It is most commonly involved with beliefs relating to politics and news. Therefore, it is crucial to be aware of it and know the techniques to avoid it as much as possible.

History

The concept of confirmation bias has been around for ages. The ancient Greeks were familiar with this theory, but it was not until the 1960s that a cognitive psychologist, Peter Wason, named it. Wason dedicated his studies to this concept and ran several experiments. One of these involved presenting participants with four cards colored red or brown. They were told, for example, that the other side of the red cards had an odd number on it. The objective was to figure out if this statement was true. 

Using their confirmation bias, participants were most likely to flip over the red card to see if there will be an odd number on the opposite side. While this technique is helpful, the participant would also need to flip over the brown card to verify that the number is even. This test by Wason demonstrated how people tend to only look for the information that will confirm their biases.

Confirmation bias affects how we collect, interpret, and remember information. For instance, when people collect information, they only seek out details that reinforce their biases. Furthermore, people find a way to interpret the information they find to support their beliefs in a positive manner. Finally, after gathering information, confirmation bias causes people to have a selective memory only towards the supporting details, often dismissing opposing information.

Why?

Confirmation bias occurs because it is a mental shortcut that saves people time and energy when interpreting information. Truthfully, seeking evidence with a completely neutral lens and considering information equally from all perspectives requires more time. When people are looking for a quick answer, it is more efficient to believe the first thing that supports their ideas and selectively gather information.

Some scientists believe that confirmation bias occurs as a natural instinct. It is thought that our ancestors developed and passed down the mental shortcut during their time hunting when they had to make quick decisions for their survival.

In modern days, confirmation bias is most common with news, politics, and current events. For example, supporters of a specific political candidate tend to believe narratives that portray the person positively and dismiss opposing critiques.

How It Affects Individuals

Confirmation bias affects individuals daily. For instance, it can lead to the development of poor decision making skills. It is important to equally consider evidence from all perspectives, and confirmation bias encourages individuals to overlook potentially crucial information, leading to poor decisions.

Also, confirmation bias affects interpersonal relationships. This is because once a person develops a first impression of someone new, they will continuously seek evidence that confirms this bias during later interactions. As a result, a negative first impression can make a person appear to be closed-minded.

How It Affects Society

Confirmation bias can create and reinforce major social divides among the population, particularly involving political matters and influencing stereotypes among different groups of people. Furthermore, the political influence extends to media outlets and journalists whom also have their own confirmation biases. The way they pick their sources and how to display the news has a strong influence on the viewers' beliefs and even voting patterns. 

How To Avoid It

Evidently, confirmation bias is a powerful and influential force that exists with consequences. The first step to lessening the impact is to be aware of it. Next, it is crucial to find multiple neutral and unbiased outlets of information. Lastly, discussing and debating with peers is an effective strategy to learn about new information that you might have unintentionally avoided previously.