Why does confirmation bias cause bad decision-making?

Confirmation bias occurs when individuals actively seek out, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses.

Selective perception: People tend to notice and focus on information that aligns with their existing beliefs, while ignoring or downplaying information that contradicts them.

This selective perception can lead to a distorted view of reality, as individuals only see what they want to see.

Limited information processing: Confirmation bias limits the scope of information that individuals consider when making decisions. By selectively attending to information that supports their beliefs, people may overlook critical evidence or alternative viewpoints that could lead to more informed decisions.

Reinforcement of existing beliefs: When individuals encounter information that confirms their preconceptions, it reinforces their existing beliefs, leading to a sense of validation and confidence in their decisions. This reinforcement can make it difficult for people to objectively evaluate the merit of their beliefs or consider alternative perspectives.

Failure to consider alternatives: Confirmation bias can prevent individuals from fully exploring alternative hypotheses or courses of action. Instead of critically evaluating different options, people may dismiss contradictory evidence or overlook potential risks, leading to suboptimal decision-making.

Maintaining cognitive consistency: Humans have a natural tendency to seek cognitive consistency, where our beliefs and actions align with each other. Confirmation bias helps maintain this consistency by reinforcing existing beliefs and minimizing cognitive dissonance, even if it means ignoring evidence to the contrary.

Overall, confirmation bias can lead to bad decision-making by narrowing individuals’ focus, reinforcing existing beliefs, and limiting their ability to consider alternative perspectives and information. Recognizing and mitigating this bias is essential for making more rational and effective decisions.