Confirmation Bias

 Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for information that supports one's previous beliefs. People tend to search for information that confirms that we are correct, rather than proving that they are wrong. As a whole, people are more likely to remember  and share information that supports their beliefs, rather than disproving themselves.

The diagram shows that in confirmation bias, many of the information is ignored or hidden. If people learned to read the facts and evidence as it is, rather than just trying to prove to others that they are right, there would be a lot less misinformation and confusion.

What's it all mean?

Confirmation bias is a fact of life for everyone, however most people don't even know it. Every day, almost every person uses confirmation bias is some way or form. For example, you get into an argument with a friend about some drama you heard about a co-worker. You're opinion on this person, has already affected whether you will tell the whole story to your friend. You may choose to only share the pieces that back your opinion rather than showing that maybe they are something else. 

This inability to accept the facts if they disprove your previous beliefs has caused many facts to be ignored. The world can not advance if people as a whole refuse to accept the facts that will push us forward. The first way to limit the effect of confirmation bias on your life to accept that it is already a part of your life. When you begin to notice how often you use confirmation bias, you can start to limit your reliance on it. Avoiding confirmation bias is a difficult process, you must make an active effort every day to limit the bias in your daily life.

Another way to limit confirmation bias in your life is to have an open mind when people disagree with you. Allowing your opinions to be flexible based on the information you are given will help you see when you are being biased. It's also important to work with your close friends and family to check on their bias. If you notice someone using confirmation bias all the time, say something. Addressing the situation is the only way to get rid of it. If people ignore the issue, it will continue to run rampant in society. This will lead to increased misinformation and thus leaving the world stuck in arguments constantly.

Society has become an incredibly heated discussion forum, with people screaming at others if they do not agree with their own opinions, regardless of the facts. If we do not make an effort to change the course of society, it will inevitably lead to a collapse in the credibility of scientists.

In Practice

A recent example of confirmation bias is wearing masks during the current global pandemic. Thousands of people refuse to wear masks and only read the facts that say that masks are not 100% reliable. However, science proves that masks are extremely reliable and can greatly limit transmission of Covid-19. The people that choose to wear masks still try to force anti-maskers to listen to science and follow the current state laws that require face coverings. However, anti-maskers fight tooth and nail that there is no reason for wearing masks and that they don't want to, so they just won't wear them. 

Looking at the confirmation bias that anti-maskers use to support their actions, it's abundantly clear that they ignore the facts and evidence. However, people are only calling them out on the masks, not their inability to accept facts that disprove their opinions. If society starts to accept that they can be wrong and that be wrong is not a bad thing, confirmation bias will cease to exist.

Sources:

https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/the-science/handling-confirmation-bias-in-a-live-setting