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Oman- Who among us has never encountered a selective person, who tends to interpret events in a way that matches his opinions, while at the same time insisting on ignoring everything that contradicts them? This behavior is known as “confirmation bias,” which is a cognitive tendency for information that confirms your pre-existing beliefs or biases over those that do not.
For example, imagine that someone believes that left-handers are more creative than right-handers. When a person with these beliefs encounters a left-handed, creative person, he attaches great importance to this “evidence” that supports what he already believes, and he may also seek more evidence that supports his belief while ruling out everything that contradicts it.
Psychiatrist Dr. Wael Al-Momani defines confirmation bias as “a cognitive phenomenon that reflects individuals’ preference for information that confirms their previous beliefs or personal biases. This bias is represented by the individual’s tendency to choose information that is consistent with his personal vision, ignoring information that may conflict with that vision.”
Causes, types and signs
Momani believes that the causes of confirmation bias may be diverse, “including the desire to maintain doctrinal stability or confirm one’s self-image. It may also reflect a fear of change or a need for security toward prevailing beliefs.”
Regarding the types of confirmation bias, the psychiatrist says that it “includes a wide spectrum, including religious, political, and cultural bias. Each type affects how the individual interacts with other information and opinions.”
He explains, “Signs of confirmation bias appear in ignoring contradictory opinions, refusing to search for information that conflicts with personal beliefs, and adhering to existing positions without accepting diversity.” An example of this could be someone who ignores reports that contradict his view on environmental or political issues, preferring only sources that confirm his views.”
The psychological impact of confirmation bias
Al-Momani points out that this behavior can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety, “as the individual may feel threatened when confronted with different opinions. This bias hinders the ability to interact positively with diversity and may contribute to the individual’s isolation from society.”
He concludes, “Understanding confirmation bias requires personal awareness and a willingness to analyze information objectively, to enhance positive interaction with others and achieve effective communication.”
Recruitment of information
For his part, family and social counselor Mufid Sarhan confirms that dealing objectively with information contributes to creating logical perceptions of the events that a person, society, or world is experiencing.
He added, “However, some people, for various reasons, including the nature of upbringing, environment, upbringing, degree of awareness, or fanaticism for a particular idea, always tend to search for information that serves their point of view, and seek to use it to support their point of view in front of others.” He does not want to listen to any dissenting information or opinions without examining its degree of credibility or compatibility with facts, events, and evidence. Rather, he ignores dissenting evidence and seeks to trivialize and belittle it, and chooses what he wants in a selective manner.”
He points out that “Such behavior may cause a person to make many mistakes and make him make wrong decisions, whether at the level of family, friends, or work, and may make him lose his social relationships because he feels that he is always right and others are wrong. Such a feeling may be in good faith.”
Sarhan calls for the importance of adopting a dialogue approach, “This begins with the family by providing room for expressing opinions from a young age and discussing opinions and evidence, and for parents not to impose a certain opinion on their children, but rather to involve them in making decisions, especially with regard to themselves and in a way that does not lead to harming their interests or the interests of others.” .
It also stresses the necessity of “adopting clear standards for making decisions and adopting opinions without compromising established scientific facts or violating Sharia texts of definitive significance.”
How to overcome confirmation bias?
According to the Very Well Mind website, there are several ways in which you can try to overcome confirmation bias, including:
- Be aware of the signs you may be a victim. This includes being aware of your personal biases and how they may affect your decision making.
- Consider all available evidence, not just evidence that confirms your views.
- Seek different viewpoints, especially from those with opposing opinions.
- Be willing to change your mind in light of new evidence, even if that means updating or even changing your current beliefs.
