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Confirmation bias




  Confirmation bias is the tendency for people to favor information that confirms preconception regardless it's true. Evidence is gathered, information recalled from a selective memory and interpreted with a bias. The biases involve emotionally significant issues, pertaining to established beliefs. For example, people search for existing views, stands and attitudes about gun control. The bias includes attitude polarization, disagreement becomes more extreme, even with the same evidence. A belief preserverance, when beliefs persist despite contrary evidence. An irrational primacy effect, applying more weight to original proof. Bias covers an illusory correlation, falsely perceiving an association between events.



  Early experiments found bias lent itself to confirm existing beliefs. Ideas were tested in a one-sided way, focusing on one possibility, ignoring alternatives. Reached conclusions became biased. Explanations include wishful thinking and a limited human capacity to process information. Another cause for bias, people weigh the cost of being wrong, rather than investigating in a neutral way.



  Confirmation bias contributes to overconfidence in personal belief and can keep and strengthen beliefs in light of contrary evidence. Because of this, leading to incomplete decision in military, political and social contexts.



  Bias is distinct from a self-fulfilling prophesy, people behave to make expectation come true. Some psychologists say confirmation bias refers to any way people avoid rejecting a belief, in searching for evidence, interpreting or recalling it from memory. Others call it a selective collection of evidence.



  In summary, people set a higher standard of evidence for causes that go against current expectation, a deconfirmation bias.



  Even if evidence is sought and interpreted neutrally, to reinforce expectation, it is remembered selectively. This selective recall similar to schema theory, matching information is more easily stored and recalled. Some theorize surprising information stands out, and is more memorable.





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