The Concept of Confirmation Bias in PsychologyReading passageConfirmation bias is a psychological

Understanding Confirmation Bias

The phenomenon of confirmation bias refers to the tendency of individuals to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses. This bias can lead to systematic errors in decision-making and judgment.

It often occurs because individuals unconsciously give more weight to evidence that supports their beliefs while discounting evidence that contradicts them. Confirmation bias is significant in various contexts, including scientific research, everyday decision-making, and social interactions, as it can reinforce stereotypes and influence people's perceptions of reality.

Professor's Examples

Professor: So today, let's talk about confirmation bias, something that affects us more than we might think. Imagine a scientist who believes a new drug is highly effective. They might design experiments that only highlight the drug's benefits, ignoring any negative data. For example, they could focus on positive outcomes in their reports while glossing over any adverse effects. This is confirmation bias at work.

Now, let's consider a more everyday scenario. Say you have a friend who believes all dogs are dangerous. Whenever they see a dog barking aggressively, they remember it vividly. But when they meet a friendly dog, they tend to forget or dismiss it. This selective memory reinforces their belief. Both examples show how confirmation bias can skew our understanding of the world around us.

Student Response

Confirmation bias is when people focus on information that supports their beliefs and ignore what doesn’t. In the lecture, the professor gives two examples. First, a scientist who thinks a drug works well might only pay attention to positive results and ignore negative ones. This shows confirmation bias because they’re only seeing what they want to see.

Second, the professor talks about a person who thinks all dogs are dangerous. They remember only the aggressive dogs and forget about friendly ones. This again is confirmation bias because they’re holding onto their belief by ignoring contrary evidence. Overall, confirmation bias influences our perceptions by making us focus only on what confirms our existing beliefs.