Confirmation Bias: Definition, Theory, & Examples

Confirmation Bias: Definition, Theory, & Examples

Confirmation bias is the tendency to look for information that confirms the things we already believe to be true. Is this a helpful or hurtful thing to do? Let’s look at the science.​

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Do you know the saying, “Misery loves company”? This is certainly true in my experience. When I am in a bad mood, I see the world through a different lens. Things that hardly stress me out become irritating. Tasks that typically require little effort suddenly seem outrageously demanding. And I might even go out of my way to find a friend to complain to, somebody whom I know faces some of the same stressors that I do.​

In other words, if I’m in a bad mood, I can always find more bad; whatever we go out into the world looking for, we can eventually encounter. Psychologists have a name for this pattern (as they do for so many things, right?). When we are approaching the world in this way, we are experiencing what is called confirmation bias. Why do we do this? How can you know when you’re doing it? Let’s see how psychological research can help answer those questions.​

What Is Confirmation Bias? (A Definition)​

Opposite of Confirmation Bias​

The opposite of confirmation bias is considering things as objectively and equitably as possible. For example, as someone with a liberal political viewpoint, if I read an article on a conservative news website, I try to work through my confirmation bias (which would tell me to seek out things I can disagree with, so I can dismiss the article). Instead, I give the author’s arguments full consideration. In fact, this is something that I intentionally do. I don’t want to live in an echo chamber of media that tell me only things I agree with, which is something that social media has a natural tendency to do to us (Bessi et al., 2015).​

Confirmation Bias Theory

Confirmation Bias Experiments

Confirmation bias has been demonstrated to exist in many, many experiments (Nickerson, 1998). Here, I will describe one such study, regarding what is called the sexual double standard, wherein in Western cultures we tend to judge or look down on women who are sexually active but look favorably upon men who are sexually active.
 
To see confirmation bias in action, Marks and Fraley (2006) had participants in their study read vignettes about the sexual life of a man or a woman. The vignettes featured exactly the same number of positive and negative statements about the person’s sexual activities. However, study participants remembered more positive statements from the vignette describing a man, and more negative statements from the vignette describing a woman. In other words, although they had not been prompted to do so, participants demonstrated a confirmation bias consistent with the sexual double standard: they found more negative information where they expected to, and more positive information where they expected to.

How to Avoid Confirmation Bias

Video: Confirmation Bias: Your Brain is So Judgmental​

Examples of Confirmation Bias in Life

Confirmation Bias vs Hindsight Bias

Confirmation Bias vs Cognitive Dissonance

Confirmation Bias vs Belief Perseverance

Belief perseverance is kind of another name for confirmation bias (Anglin, 2019). It is another way of noting that even when we are presented with clear evidence that a long-held belief is not true, we will try to discount the evidence and maintain our beliefs. In fact, contradictory evidence can even cause us to try to strengthen the beliefs we hold.

Confirmation Bias vs Availability Heuristic

Confirmation Bias in Politics

As you might have noticed, people with strong political views like to hold on to those views. They read the same facts differently, seek out confirmation of their beliefs, have an easier time remembering information that aligns with their beliefs, and discount or dismiss information that supports the positions of other political parties (Nicholson, 2012).

Confirmation Bias in Medicine

​Research in the medical field tells us that once doctors have a diagnosis in mind, some (but thankfully, not most!) doctors show confirmation bias as they collect more information about the patient’s situation (Mendel et al., 2011). This has consequences for the treatment options they provide, meaning that confirmation bias, although not too common, does affect medical outcomes. There also seems to be confirmation bias in medical and psychological research, with reviewers of academic articles showing a preference for new articles that confirm their beliefs (Hergovich et al., 2010).

Confirmation Bias in Social Media

​As noted above, confirmation bias is present in social media, in at least two ways. First, we show confirmation bias in choosing to read things that agree with our beliefs online (Bessi et al., 2015). Second, the algorithms behind social media want to keep us engaged, and they learn that providing us with more content related to what we already believe is a good way to achieve this (Bozdag, 2013). This is how your social media feed can become an echo chamber over time.

Articles Related to Confirmation Bias​

Books Related to Confirmation Bias​

Final Thoughts on Confirmation Bias​

I see confirmation bias as part of the inevitable tradeoffs that come with having such powerful brains and human needs. We are not just rational actors – we cannot evaluate everything with a calm and objective mind. We look for the things in the world that reassure us that we are safe, and that things are going according to plan. But there is growth to be had when we consciously choose to look for – and look more closely – at the things that might challenge us. Confirmation bias is part of being human, and so is trying to catch ourselves in the act so we can get a little closer to the whole truth.​

References