What Is an Example of a Bias? Understanding Confirmation Bias Explained

Learn what confirmation bias is, an example of cognitive bias affecting decision-making by favoring information that supports existing beliefs.

Published

Video transcript

An example of a bias is the confirmation bias, where people tend to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence. This can affect decision-making and lead to skewed perspectives.

Questions and answers

  1. What is confirmation bias?

    Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out, interpret, and remember information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

  2. How does confirmation bias affect decision making?

    It can lead to skewed perspectives by causing individuals to overlook important information, resulting in poor or biased decisions.

  3. Can confirmation bias be avoided?

    While difficult to eliminate completely, confirmation bias can be minimized by actively seeking diverse viewpoints and critically evaluating information.