Confirmation bias: why we are never objective

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We are programmed to fit facts into our own theories.

People are by nature prone to delusions, and sometimes to massive ones. Take homeopathy: there is no scientific evidence that it works. But if once a person coped with a disease using such means, he is irrevocably convinced that this is the merit of magic pills.

Now he ignores the arguments of scientists, and interprets the evidence of the uselessness of homeopathy in his own way: all medicine is bought, and such studies are ordered by competitors.

But the stories of friends, acquaintances and colleagues who overcame the flu while taking pacifiers, he will consider as confirmation of his theory. Because their arguments - "It helped me!" - correspond to his own ideas.

This is called confirmation bias.

What is confirmation bias

The scientific term confirmation bias was coined by cognitive psychologist Peter Cutcart Wason in the 1960s. He conducted a series of experiments that confirmed the existence of this perverse tendency in humans. We are always looking for evidence of our point of view and ignore information that refutes it.

Confirmation bias consists of three mechanisms: information seeking bias, interpretation bias, and preconceived memories. They can act individually or collectively.

Biased information search

Believing in our own rightness, we try to find confirmation of our idea, and not its refutation. And in the end, we begin to see only what makes our theory correct.

In one experiment, participants were presented with characters to interview. The subjects were told that some of the heroes are introverts, and some are extroverts.

As a result, for the interviewees, participants chose only those questions that were supposed to confirm their tendency to introversion or extraversion. It did not occur to them to doubt her. For example, they asked allegedly introverts: "Why don't you like parties?" And they did not even give them the opportunity to refute this theory.

Likewise, a person who believes in homeopathy will only seek evidence of its benefits. He will begin with all his might to avoid those people and those information that claim the opposite. Then he will find a group of like-minded people and will be interested only in the stories of people “who have been helped”. Arguments against will remain out of his field of vision.

Biased interpretation

This distortion mechanism is based on the fact that everything heard and seen can be understood in two ways. A person usually tries to interpret new information in favor of what he is already convinced of.

This distortion was studied at Stanford University. A team of scientists conducted an experiment for which two groups of participants were invited. One of them was against the existence of the death penalty, and the other was for. Each group was given two studies. The first of them confirmed their point of view, and the second refuted them.

As expected, participants rated the studies consistent with their beliefs as more convincing. They pointed to details that matched their opinion and ignored the rest. The material that refuted their beliefs was criticized by the participants: for insufficient data, small sample and lack of valid arguments. In fact, all of the research was fiction.

Preconceived memories

In addition to incorrect processing of new information, we are also not very reliable in our memories. We extract from our consciousness only what is beneficial to us at the moment.

In another experiment, scientists asked participants to read a description of one week in the life of a woman named Jane. It described what Jane did. Some described her as an extrovert, while others described her as an introvert.

After that, the participants were divided into two groups. One of them was asked to assess whether Jane would be suitable for the position of librarian. The second was asked to determine her chances of becoming a realtor.

As a result, the members of the first group recalled more of Jane's characteristics, describing her as an introvert. And the group "for the realtor" characterized her mainly as an extrovert.

Memories of Jane's behavior that did not correspond to the necessary qualities, as if there were no.

Why is this trap of thinking dangerous?

All people like it when their desires coincide with reality. However, bias bias is bias and unreliability.

University of Illinois professor Dr. Shahram Heshmat argues that the consequences can be the most unpleasant.

Psyche and relationships with others suffer

If a person is unsure of himself, anxious and suffers from low self-esteem, he can interpret negatively any neutral reaction to him. He begins to feel that he is not loved or the whole world is making fun of him. He becomes either very sensitive, taking everything too close to his heart, or aggressive.

Development and growth become impossible

Bias can become self-deceiving. A person sincerely believes that he is right in everything, ignores criticism and only reacts to praise. There is simply no need for him to learn new things and rethink something.

Health and finance are at risk

For example, if someone is convinced that marijuana does not harm their health in any way. Or that you can make money on sports predictions. Then the confirmation bias can literally ruin his life.

How to deal with confirmation bias

Do not be afraid of criticism

There is nothing wrong with it if it is not expressed in a rude form and not with the aim of offending you. Take it as advice or an idea, not as a personal insult. Listen to what most people think is wrong.

Perhaps you are really doing something wrong. This does not mean that you need to immediately change your behavior or thoughts. Rather, you should think about them. And remember that it is the results of your actions that are most often criticized, not yourself.

Don't avoid controversy

In a dispute, truth is born, and it is true. If people in everything agreed with each other, it is unlikely that humanity would have made any progress. And if they didn’t agree, too.

An argument is not a reason to humiliate or offend someone, but a way to get to the bottom of the truth. And this is far from a quarrel, but rather cooperation. It is only important to learn not only to speak, but also to listen.

See things from different angles

Do not rest only on your own vision. Try to look at the problem through the eyes of your friends, opponents, and even those who are not interested in it at all.

Do not ignore the arguments that are different from yours and look at them - perhaps the truth is there. Do not stand on either side until you have learned all the points.

Don't trust just one source

Watch different channels. Read by different authors. Check out different books. The more differing opinions you collect about a problem, the more likely it is that the correct one will be among them.

And do not stop at unfounded statements, but always look for scientific research.

Show curiosity

Curiosity makes you ask questions and look for answers. Thanks to him, you deepen your knowledge and develop critical thinking.

Don't take the world around you for granted - keep exploring and exploring.

Be bold

To accept someone else's point of view and gain new knowledge, you first need to stop being afraid of the changes that will follow. Get rid of the fear that some changes will occur in your worldview, behavior, purpose and life in general.

No person can be 100% objective - this is our nature. But you can try to reduce your subjectivity and at least get a little closer to reality.