Confirmation refers to the tendency to pick out information, which confirms what you believe in. When living in any society, one must feel a sense of belonging and fit in the group that they associate. This made possible by confirmation bias. This is where one searches, perceives, prefers, and remembers information that supports their values or perceptions. This is important for the whole society to remain cohesive because all the individuals identify with the same beliefs.
This convinces you that what you believe and uphold is right and something to be proud of. It differentiates you from the others. You hate opposing information that does not share the same opinion. A good example is the cultures all around the world. Different cultures have varying beliefs, which causes conflict between people from diverse viewpoints.
The best part is that two people with different opinions regarding a specific matter will have evidence to validate their stand. Confirmation bias enables you to have adequate information or confirm your ideas and beliefs. Unless the information is interpreted in an unbiased way, there will be a lot of misjudgments. It helps people learn about others while also getting sufficient evidence to support you support your views.
Why people struggle with contradicting information
At first, most people will deny the effect of confirmation bias. This is because almost everyone thinks of themselves as intelligent and rational. It is hard to accept this because you feel there is sufficient evidence.
Choosing an Opinion
Confirmation bias makes you prefer your opinion based on the information you already have. You feel that your values are better than others, which makes you hold on to your existing biases. You discount anything new, and you do not acknowledge anything good from what you perceive as different.
Confirmation bias can determine how we construe our memories or how to understand information. Mostly, it makes you think of the facts that support what you hold as your values. Many people find it disrespectful when their existing ideas are challenged, and they resist change.
Causes of Confirmative Bias
Every time you think about your values, you are convinced that they are the best. You rarely question them, and every new finding that validates your belief is important to you. If doubt is cast on your ideals, you will go out of your way to dig evidence that will convince any opposition.
Sometimes people stand with their beliefs even after it has been criticized logically. They fail to see the mistakes or shortcomings. Here are two main reasons why this occurs.
Challenge Avoidance
Confirmation bias prevents an individual from recognizing the weakness in their values. They are afraid of admitting that they are wrong. Many people are still holding into beliefs that
Reinforcement seeking
People will look for the best things in their values and highlight them. They do this to validate their beliefs and show that they are right. They are in personal space where they believe that their ideas are perfect.
Effects of Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias shows that people are afraid of change. They want to suppress inconsistent thoughts that question their beliefs. People want to be right all the time.
Individuals do not like mental pressure thinking about contradicting values. They want to avoid conflicting thoughts. They choose to ignore such information and avoid people who persuade them to believe otherwise.
People own their culture due to confirmation bias. They will focus on one idea and ignore the rest. The pre-existing values are more relevant to them than any other suggestion. They do not want to find whether there are some underlying truths or other possibilities worth exploring.
How to Prevent Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias is not a useful attribute. Sometimes it can blind you from seeing reality. Here are some ways to stop control it and change your perspective.
Controlling Confirmation Bias in Other People
As an individual, you can take several steps to reduce the effects of confirmation bias in others. You can help others to control triggers that make them defensive about their ideas.
Encouraging them to try more ideas can open them to learn more and explore new ideas. They can validate the best approach with newly found facts.
Tips to Help Others
- Encourage these individuals to research more data before they settle for a single idea
- Ask them to be brave to question their current idea and challenge it with other hypotheses
- Please encourage them to face change logically and interpret information consciously.
How to Control Confirmation Bias in Yourself
As an individual, you face the confirmation bias. You can use the same techniques that you practice on others. However, this takes self-will, but you can seek support from other people.
You have to open to look at weaknesses logically. Once you become objective and set out to seek facts, you can achieve more quickly than when you are trying on others.
It would help if you looked at your thought process. Scan to see if you have distorted or enclosed way of processing information
How to handle Confirmation Bias
It would help if you understood how it affects people’s way of processing information. Avoid judging them and try to be as logical as possible. Confirmation bias can cause conflict between communities or races. It can also make you make grievous errors or harm others.
Persons displaying confirmation bias are intellects or good people, but belief systems differ. It takes time to convince such individuals to accept change and question what they uphold highly. When dealing with a group of people, you can try and come up with a standard way of reasoning or making decisions. You can conditions that facilitate proper rationale.