What is Confirmation Bias?

• A. A bias toward seeking or interpreting information in ways that are partial to existing beliefs or expectations
• B. A bias that is always conscious
• C. A bias that relies on speed rather than accuracy
• D. A bias that makes people distrust all evidence

Answer: (A)

Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms what you already believe and to interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting those beliefs. It shows up both in what you choose to look for and how you interpret what you find—you’re more likely to seek out sources that align with your views and to give more weight to findings that match your expectations while discounting or downplaying evidence that contradicts them. It’s often unconscious, so you might not even realize you’re doing it. This distinguishes it from simply valuing speed over accuracy or distrusting all evidence; those describe different patterns, whereas confirmation bias specifically centers on favoring confirming information and interpreting data through that lens.