What does the term "confirmation bias" mean?

The term "confirmation bias" refers to the cognitive tendency where individuals favor information that aligns with their existing beliefs or hypotheses while disregarding or downplaying evidence that contradicts those beliefs. This means that when presented with new information, people are more likely to accept and interpret it in a way that supports their preestablished views, reinforcing their convictions.

This phenomenon can significantly affect decision-making and critical thinking, as those influenced by confirmation bias may overlook or misinterpret evidence that does not conform to their beliefs. In psychological research, this bias is critical to understand because it can lead to a skewed perception of reality and hinder objectivity in evaluating evidence.

By contrast, the other definitions do not capture the essence of confirmation bias. The idea of focusing only on new evidence or searching for contradictory evidence does not align with the fundamental characteristic of confirmation bias, which is about interpreting or favoring information that reaffirms existing beliefs. Objective analysis involves evaluating all available data impartially, which is contrary to the selective nature of confirmation bias.