Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the universal human tendency to search for and evaluate evidence in a way that reinforces what we already believe, or even just hypothesize. If I think, for example, that some politician running for office is a terrible candidate who behaves unethically, I’ll have an easy time thinking of examples of him or her treating people badly. It probably won’t occur to me to look for examples of the candidate being kind or generous. If I’m presented with such examples, my initial impulse will be to view them as exceptions to the rule, or to explain them away. And there’s a good chance I’ll later forget about the positive examples, while retaining my memories of the candidate’s bad behavior. All of this will happen automatically and, to a large extent, unconsciously.

Rather than seeking an increasingly accurate picture of the world, our brains seem designed to maintain whatever picture we already have.

Why does our thinking work this way? Does the confirmation bias confer some benefit? What are its consequences in our lives and in the world? And what can we do to mitigate it?

Join us for an overview of confirmation bias and a discussion of these questions.

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/3/4/b/e/600_457213502.jpeg