Definition Of Confirmation Bias In Psychology
What is the confirmation bias.
Definition of confirmation bias in psychology. There are a number of. Confirmation bias is the tendency to look for information that supports rather than rejects one s preconceptions typically by interpreting evidence to confirm existing beliefs while rejecting or ignoring any conflicting data american psychological association. Psychology definition for confirmation bias in normal everyday language edited by psychologists professors and leading students. Groopman 2007 points out that the confirmation bias can couple with the availability bias in producing misdiagnosis in a doctor s office.
Confirmation bias can also be found in anxious individuals who view the world as dangerous for example a person with low self esteem is highly sensitive to being ignored by other people and. In this lesson we will discuss the definition and function of confirmation bias as it applies to criminal justice and psychology as well as provide some examples of the concept. Confirmation bias coined by english psychologist peter wason is the tendency of people to favor information that confirms or strengthens their beliefs or values and is difficult to dislodge once affirmed. The confirmation bias is an important concept in psychology.
Confirmation bias is an example of a cognitive bias and also of the tendency to mistakenly perceive connections and meaning between unrelated things termed apophenia. Confirmation bias the tendency to process information by looking for or interpreting information that is consistent with one s existing beliefs this biased approach to decision making is largely unintentional and often results in ignoring inconsistent information. In the book psychology peter o. The propensity to collect proof that verifies preexisting anticipations generally by stressing or going after proof that upholds such and at the same.
Gray offers this example of how confirmation bias may affect a doctor s diagnosis. Psychology definition of confirmation bias. The confirmation bias refers to the tendency to selectively search for and consider information that confirms one s beliefs.