Which best describes Confirmation Bias?

• A. People seek or interpret information in ways that support their preconceptions.
• B. People ignore all contrary evidence.
• C. People rely only on emotions.
• D. People prefer to avoid new information.

Answer: (A)

Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek out, remember, and interpret information in a way that confirms what you already believe. This means people actively look for evidence that supports their preconceptions and interpret ambiguous or new data as favorable to their view, while giving less weight to information that contradicts it. That combination of seeking and interpreting information to fit existing beliefs is what makes the description accurate.

For example, someone who favors a particular viewpoint might read a study and focus on the parts that align with their stance, while downplaying or discounting findings that don't fit. That nuance—not just ignoring contrary evidence, but shaping what is noticed and how it’s understood to match what you already think—is the essence of confirmation bias.

The other ideas describe different patterns. Saying one ignores all contrary evidence is too absolute; people can miss or downplay conflicting information but usually don’t discard it entirely. Relying only on emotions leaves out the cognitive aspect of how people process information. Preferring to avoid new information describes avoidance rather than the bias of interpreting information to reinforce existing beliefs.