confirmation bias: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium-HighAcademic/Technical, Journalistic, Increasingly in Everyday use
Quick answer
What does “confirmation bias” mean?
The tendency to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The tendency to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.
A cognitive bias where people give more weight to evidence that confirms their existing opinions, while undervaluing or ignoring evidence that contradicts them. It often leads to overconfidence in personal beliefs and can maintain or strengthen views despite contrary evidence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling of related terms follows local conventions (e.g., favour/favor).
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. Carries a slightly negative connotation, implying flawed or irrational thinking.
Frequency
Equally common in academic and media contexts in both the UK and US.
Grammar
How to Use “confirmation bias” in a Sentence
[Subject] exhibits/showed confirmation bias by [verb+ing]...Confirmation bias led [subject] to [infinitive]...To avoid confirmation bias, [subject] should...Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “confirmation bias” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- People often **confirmation-bias** themselves when researching online.
- The researcher was careful not to **confirmation-bias** the results.
American English
- Social media can **confirmation-bias** its users into echo chambers.
- It's easy to **confirmation-bias** your way to a wrong conclusion.
adverb
British English
- He interpreted the data **confirmation-biasedly**, focusing only on positive trends.
American English
- She argued **confirmation-biasedly**, citing only sources that agreed with her.
adjective
British English
- He made a **confirmation-biased** judgement based on limited data.
- The **confirmation-biased** review favoured the author's thesis.
American English
- Her **confirmation-biased** reading of the news ignored key facts.
- The forum was full of **confirmation-biased** arguments.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
"Our market analysis needs a devil's advocate to counteract any potential confirmation bias in the team's projections."
Academic
"The study's methodology included a double-blind review process to minimise the effects of researcher confirmation bias."
Everyday
"I know I have a confirmation bias about that restaurant being the best, so I only remember the good meals I've had there."
Technical
"The algorithm was adjusted to include random sampling to prevent the reinforcement of confirmation bias in its recommendation engine."
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “confirmation bias”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “confirmation bias”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “confirmation bias”
- Using it to mean simply 'being stubborn' or 'biased' in general. Confirmation bias is a specific type of bias related to seeking confirming evidence.
- Pronouncing 'bias' as two syllables (/bi-as/) instead of one (/ˈbaɪ.əs/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Stubbornness is a conscious refusal to change one's mind. Confirmation bias is an unconscious cognitive process that filters information before we're even fully aware of it, making contradictory evidence less noticeable or memorable.
In a very limited sense, it can make decision-making faster by filtering out information that challenges our established mental models. However, in complex or important decisions, it is generally harmful as it leads to poor judgement and reinforces misconceptions.
Actively seek out credible sources that disagree with you, engage with thoughtful opponents, consider the opposite ('What if I'm wrong?'), and use structured decision-making frameworks that require listing evidence for and against a position.
It is a fixed noun phrase, often hyphenated when used attributively (e.g., 'a confirmation-bias trap'). It functions as a single conceptual unit in modern usage.
The tendency to search for, interpret, favour, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.
Confirmation bias is usually academic/technical, journalistic, increasingly in everyday use in register.
Confirmation bias: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɒn.fəˈmeɪ.ʃən ˌbaɪ.əs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkɑːn.fɚˈmeɪ.ʃən ˌbaɪ.əs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “See what you want to see”
- “Hear what you want to hear”
- “Believing is seeing”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
**CONfirmation bias:** Only seeking information that **CON**firms what you already believe, like a **CON** artist tricking your own brain.
Conceptual Metaphor
The mind is a fortress: It lets in evidence that supports its walls (existing beliefs) and keeps out evidence that could breach them.
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario best illustrates confirmation bias?