Blog Post #10: EOTO Confirmation Bias

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Confirmation bias was one of the most interesting terms presented in class. The definition of confirmation bias is "the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs." An early demonstration of confirmation bias would be an experiment conducted by Peter Watson in 1960. The experiment consisted of people finding the experimenter's rule for sequencing numbers. The results were that the participants chose answers that supported their initial hypothesis even though evidence contradicted it. In other words, this is a perfect example of confirmation bias because the subject chose solutions that closely aligned with their original beliefs rather than focusing on the evidence that disproves them. 

    There are also different kinds of confirmation biases that play into our daily lives. The first type is biased search, which is the bias that occurs when researching and collecting information about a topic. For example, if you are searching "is owning a guinea pig better than owning a hamster?" you will most likely find that the results support owning a guinea pig rather than a hamster. However, if you rephrased the search to be "is owning a hamster better than owning a guinea pig?" the results will most likely support owning a hamster. The second type of confirmation bias is biased interpretation, which is when you interpret data and information to support your beliefs rather than focus on the evidence. An example of this would be the experiment mentioned earlier which Watson conducted. The third type of confirmation bias is biased memories, which is when you remember events that support your beliefs rather than ones that discredit them. The third type of confirmation bias contributes to stereotypes because you are more likely to reflect on events that add to your beliefs. 

    Learning the different types of confirmation bias is essential to be cognizant of when you engage in it. It is necessary to know when confirmation bias occurs because it subconsciously impacts every aspect of your life.  Therefore, you do not want to be closed-minded about other ideas because expanding ideas helps society progress and improve. Additionally, being open-minded allows for self-growth and development. 

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