Confirmation Bias Shapes How We Interpret Information
- Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information that supports pre-existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.
- This bias plays a crucial role in shaping how we perceive the world and make decisions.
Example
- In politics, individuals often read news sources that align with their views, reinforcing their beliefs while dismissing opposing perspectives.
- Similarly, stereotypes are maintained by interpreting behavior through biased expectations, such as assuming a person is unfriendly based on preconceived notions about their social group.
Key Study:
Case study
Wason's Selection Task (1968)
Aim: To investigate how people test hypotheses and whether they seek to confirm rather than disprove their beliefs.
Method:
- Participants were presented with a set of four cards, each showing a number or a letter (e.g., A, D, 4, 7).
- They were given a rule: "If a card has a vowel on one side, then it has an even number on the other side."
- Participants were asked to select the cards they needed to turn over to test the rule.
Results:
- Most participants chose cards that could confirm the rule (e.g., A and 4) rather than those that could potentially disprove it (e.g., 7).
- Few participants selected the correct combination (A and 7), which would test both confirmation and falsification of the rule.
Conclusion:
- Participants demonstrated confirmation bias by seeking evidence that supported the rule rather than looking for evidence that could disprove it.
- This bias highlights a tendency to favor information that aligns with existing beliefs.
Self review
- How does confirmation bias influence decision-making?
- What is an example of confirmation bias?
- What were the results of Watson's Selection Task?
