“I Believe What I Want”: What A Nasty Confirmation Bias!

How is confirmation bias defined?

Confirmation bias is a cognitive distortion that’s often mistrusted. So what is it? It’s a bias that causes our brains to sort through the information it receives to keep only what’s consistent with what we already think 🧠. Basically, we only retain what suits us so as not to offend our ego or our convictions.

Psychologist Peter Wason discovered this defense mechanism in the 60s through an experiment. He asked participants to guess the rule in a sequence of numbers. Most looked for an example proving that they were right, when they didn’t have the real rule 😬.

“Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out, interpret, favor and recall information in a way that confirms your own beliefs or assumptions.” - Scott Plous

Why do we do this?

But why do we do this? According to psychologist Raymond Nickerson, confirmation bias is a flaw of convenience. Yes, we want to stay in our comfort zone rather than question ourselves. It’s better for our ego and our beliefs. To help you understand, I’ll give you an example:

Conspiracy theorists cling to erroneous beliefs because it gives meaning to their lives. They feel they’re above the rest by saying that they’re not like the masses, and they find a whole load of “information” that suits them. In short, they have a huge confirmation bias 😅!

The consequences of confirmation bias

I think you can guess the main problem with confirmation bias is that it locks us into OUR view of things 🔒. We become closed off to anything that might make us change our mind, even if it’s relevant and well-founded. The result 🤔? We sink deeper into our certainties, become dogmatic, and miss out on opportunities to evolve and learn... And even worse.

In human terms, you become a toxic person, never really listening to others. Everything people say falls on deaf ears, and you don’t question what you know. This is all the more true if you’re very privileged in life, as psychologist Jennifer Freyd explains. We oppress minorities and as a result, we don’t show open-mindedness and flexibility, qualities that are fundamental to healthy relationships and being a caring person.

👋 You may be interested in this article: Why is kindness such a valuable life skill?

How do we avoid confirmation bias?

Okay, I know it’s going to sound cliché, but I promise you there’s a way not to become a conspiracist... er I mean avoid your confirmation bias 🤐. Okay, I’ll stop bashing conspiracy fanatics, I know that deep down, we’re all affected by cognitive bias. So how do we avoid it? Here are a few tips:

• 👉 You need to be aware that it exists and that we’re all subject to it. That’s already a good start!
• 👉 Cultivate a critical mind. Ask yourself the question: “What if I’m wrong?” and explore this possibility sincerely.
• 👉 Expose yourself voluntarily to opposing points of view. Read, listen, and talk to people who don’t think like you do.
• 👉 Be honest with yourself. If facts contradict your opinion, have the humility to acknowledge it and take it into account.
• 👉 In a debate, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Really try to understand their arguments without rejecting them out of hand.

Indeed, you need to be reflexively skeptical, as psychologist Scott Lilienfeld puts it. You need to be willing to question your own beliefs and consider alternatives. Yes, I know it’s not easy to deconstruct yourself. But you mustn’t be afraid to open up to perspectives that are different from your own 😉!

Be sure to check out the following articles too;

• I feel different to others?
• How do you find a passion?
• Why can't I make a decision?