Confirmation bias can have a detrimental effect on people’s beliefs, decisions, and actions. Nevertheless, discussions that clearly highlight the interconnectedness of confirmation bias and misinformation remain relatively scarce. In this article, we look at how confirmation bias can mislead people.
What is Confirmation Bias?
Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to favor information that aligns with one’s existing beliefs or hypotheses, while, consciously or inadvertently, dismissing information that contradicts them.
Individuals can actively seek out and propagate false information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs, while dismissing accurate information that contradicts them.
A great example of this was blatant during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when some people insisted that the vaccines were a lethal scam.
This can result in the spread of false or misleading information and can have a detrimental impact on individuals and communities.
With abundantly overflowing information on social media, the networking platforms have become a hotspot for misinformation and confirmation bias.
Social media algorithms are designed to show users content that they are likely to interact and engage with, this can lead to what is known as “echo chambers.”
Echo Chambers
An echo chamber is a phenomenon that describes the exclusive exposure to information that confirms one’s pre-existing views and beliefs. This phenomenon is not exclusive to online spaces, it can happen in political or ideological groups, social media networks, or news outlets.
Echo chambers often lead to a reinforcement of existing beliefs and hypotheses and can make it difficult for people to consider alternative viewpoints. Hence, echo chambers are fueled and sustained by confirmation bias.
Here are some notorious Cases of Confirmation Bias:
The Birther Movement
One of the most notorious examples of confirmation bias in the media is the "Birther Movement," which began in the late 2000s. The movement purported that President Barack Obama was not born in the United States and thus was ineligible to be president of the U.S.
Despite evidence of Obama’s citizenship, including Obama's birth certificate, many in the Birther Movement continued to believe in this conspiracy theory.
Vaccines Cause Autism
Another example of confirmation bias is the belief that vaccines cause autism, despite numerous scientific studies that have refuted any link between the two.
The study that is often referred to as linking vaccines to autism is a 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield, which was published in The Lancet. Although the study has been thoroughly discredited and was eventually retracted by the journal, people still deem it reliable.
Climate Change Denialism
Confirmation bias has also been observed in relation the climate change debate.
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that human activity is causing the Earth's climate to change, some individuals and groups continue to deny the existence of climate change or its human causes.
How to Escape Echo Chambers
To escape the echo chamber effect, it is important to acknowledge your own cognitive biases and actively seek out alternative perspectives. Look for information that challenges your existing beliefs and opinions.
Moreover, diversify your sources of information and be ready to base your beliefs on evidence.
Additionally, it is important to be critical of the sources of information, fact-check information, and rely on independent fact-checkers.
Social media platforms can also play an important role by implementing more rigorous fact-checking mechanisms and providing users with diverse information.
Misbar’s Sources
