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confirmation bias
You scan the world for what you expect.
A 1979 study found that people perceive ambiguous evidence as supporting their existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory data.
Your brain is not a neutral observer; it is a filter. You prioritize data that reinforces your current framework to save cognitive energy. You aren't searching for truth as much as you are gathering evidence for your own side.
You are not searching for truth, but for confirmation.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Lord, Ross, and Lepper, 1979, Confirmation Bias
- What the check found
- The study (Lord, Ross, & Lepper, 1979) is correctly cited, and the claim accurately reflects the primary finding regarding biased assimilation and attitude polarization.
- Confidence
- Well replicated
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.