Understanding confirmation bias

How to keep an open mind when your brain insists on confirming what you already know

Imagine a friend suggests you start riding your bike to school. You’re a nervous cyclist, so you type ‘dangers of bike riding’ into an internet search engine. Whoa! Worse than you thought. You won’t be getting on a bike anytime soon. But then your friend comes back to you with facts and statistics about the safety of cycling. They’re as convinced by their findings as you are by yours. You’ve both researched the topic, so what’s going on here?

It’s an example of something psychologists call ‘confirmation bias’. That’s the tendency people have to seek out, favour, and remember information that confirms and supports their existing beliefs or values. Psychologists have discovered that people more easily accept evidence that confirms their existing attitudes and are also more likely to reject or ignore evidence that goes against their prior beliefs. This is why two people with opposing views might become more certain of their own position the more they read or hear.

To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge – Confucius

HOW DOES CONFIRMATION BIAS WORK?

Imagine it’s your dream to be an artist, but a parent or guardian is against the idea. They might remember a news article that claimed most art graduates were unemployed, which backed up an earlier recollection of a friend who couldn’t earn a living through their art and had to change careers. In contrast, because you’re interested in looking for examples of successful artists, the more of them you find. And the more often you search for art-related careers that you think you’d enjoy doing, the more job opportunities you notice being advertised. With every piece of evidence gathered, each of you becomes increasingly convinced that your view is right.

Without realising it, you’re both paying more attention to information that supports your pre-existing opinion, while focusing less on anything that challenges that view.

WHY DO WE DO THIS?

Psychologists have different ideas on why the human brain has developed a tendency towards confirmation bias. Some believe it’s the brain’s way of being efficient. After all, it would be impossible to evaluate absolutely every piece of evidence that exists on a topic. Others think it helps protect self-esteem. Taking more notice of information that supports your existing beliefs might increase your confidence in yourself. It might also be the brain’s way of avoiding mental conflict, which could arise from having to evaluate and accept contradictory evidence.

WHERE DOES TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA FIT IN?

Internet search engines can heighten confirmation bias. If, for example, you phrase a question in a one-sided way, you’ll generally be provided with information consistent with that view. So, type ‘Are cats better than dogs?’ and you’ll probably be provided with sites promoting the virtues of feline companions. Try ‘Are dogs better than cats?’ and you’ll get mainly the opposite view. Websites and social media often work similarly. Links with the heading: ‘You might also like…’ will usually take you to more of the same, and algorithms on social media can mean you’re presented with posts based on your previous likes, rather than sources providing a range of themes.

Many media outlets also have a political bias, so if you always use the same news source, you risk hearing only one interpretation of events.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS?

Although a common human trait, confirmation bias can prevent you from gathering information objectively and make you less likely to question things that you want to believe. And this can cause problems in everyday life:

• You could miss out on important information and only discuss one side of an argument when researching school projects.
• Your hobbies and interests might be limited if you cling to fixed beliefs. Think of the cycling example at the beginning of this article.
• You might be less likely to challenge stereotypes and prejudices might be strengthened.

Everyone is affected by confirmation bias to some extent, but being aware of it can make a big difference and help you get a broader perspective of events and issues. Being curious about different views and asking yourself if you’re rigidly sticking to prior beliefs will help you find and respond to information more objectively.

HOW TO REDUCE CONFIRMATION BIAS

QUESTION WHAT YOU READ AND LISTEN TO

• Ask yourself: Who is speaking or writing? Does this source have a political or personal bias? Is this an advert or is it sponsored by an organisation with an interest in encouraging viewers or readers to maintain a certain view?

USE MORE THAN ONE SOURCE TO FIND OUT ABOUT A TOPIC

• Try a range of websites, blogs, podcasts, newspapers, and books.

READ ENTIRE ARTICLES

• rather than forming a quick conclusion based on a single headline or photograph.

SEARCH FOR CREDIBLE INFORMATION

• Are statements backed up by trustworthy sources (such as research studies) or are they just the writer’s personal opinion?

BE AWARE OF HOW YOU PHRASE INTERNET SEARCHES

• Use objective statements rather than loaded questions. Research all aspects of an argument.

NOTICE

• if you find yourself disregarding a piece of information or somebody else’s opinion. Why don’t you want to believe it?