Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon where individuals tend to favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or values. It is a type of cognitive bias and a systematic error of inductive reasoning.
Pronunciation
/kənˌfɜːrmeɪʃən ˈbaɪəs/
Etymology
The term "confirmation bias" was coined by English psychologist Peter Wason. It is derived from the English words "confirmation", meaning the action of confirming something, and "bias", meaning a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another.
Definition
Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values. It is an important type of cognitive bias that has a significant effect on the proper functioning of society by distorting evidence-based decision-making.
Related Terms
- Cognitive bias: A systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment.
- Belief perseverance: The tendency to maintain one's beliefs even when they are contradicted by evidence.
- Cherry picking: The act of pointing to individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position.
- Echo chamber: A situation in which beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a closed system and insulated from rebuttal.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Confirmation bias
- Wikipedia's article - Confirmation bias
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