By Brad Bell
There are a number of possible biases in judgment. One of these biases is the confirmation bias. The confirmation bias is an important concept in psychology. What is the confirmation bias? Below is a definition of the confirmation bias.
Confirmation Bias Definition:
The confirmation bias refers to the tendency to selectively search for and consider information that confirms one’s beliefs.
Confirmation Bias Examples:
There are a number of possible examples of the confirmation bias. Below are a few examples.
1. A student who is going to write a research paper may
primarily search for information that would confirm his or her beliefs. The student may fail to search for or fully consider information that is inconsistent with his or her beliefs.
2. A reporter who is writing an article on an important issue may only interview experts that support her or his views on the issue.
3. An employer who believes that a job applicant is highly intelligent may pay attention to only information that is consistent with the belief that the job applicant is highly intelligent.