Confirmation Bias

What exactly is Confirmation Bias?

I have used it in a few bloggy bits when worrying about the impact of the crazy political and social polarization that seems to be tearing our country apart.  Let’s look at a few definitions:

• the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories. ~ Oxford Languages
• the tendency to embrace information that supports what we and “our team.” ~ Psychology Today

We seek out the news that supports, nay, confirms what we think.  Whether it be online, in print, on the radio, or on TV, we gravitate to places that make us feel good and righteous about what and how we think.  Beyond the mainstream, big name news brands, there are smaller ones that exist to confirm and shore up our biases even better.  Good luck trying to convince those that are devoted to such that their favorite websites and media outlets pedal false news.  They will defend the truthfulness of their source of news and information which dutifully has taught them that everything else is false news.

I read the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.  One is liberal and the other conservative.  They are generally well written and, I believe, well researched.  I understand their editorial perspective and appreciate both.  I also listen to National Public Radio when I am in the car.  It is not clear to me if they are liberal or conservative.  I think they are a just a bit left of center.  I am well aware that a large number of conservatives view them as socialist if not communist.  These news sources allow me to hear a few points of view and help me make up my own mind.  Well, that is what I believe anyway.

I believe Fox News and MSNBC are far more biased.  I used to watch them until the January 6^th insurrection of last year.  Even back then, I could only watch them for maybe 15 – 20 minutes at a time before getting so irritated by the bias.  If I was watching MSNBC, I would get fed up with the liberal bias. I would switch to Fox News and watch it until I was tired of being hammered with their conservative bias.  It was a never ending cycle that I actually ended with extreme coverage given to the events of January 6, 2021.  To date, I have not gone back to either. 

In writing this piece, I learned of other cognitive biases that impacting our polarization the Psychology Today article.  One is called binary bias.  This is where people see things only as black and white, yes or no, with me or against me, versus the spectrum of gray that is the reality.

Last year, I wrote a post, I'd Agree with You, But..., in which I brought up two mindsets that contribute to this polarization as well.  They could both be cognitive biases or something related, but I am an armchair psychologist at best.  The first is attributed to Russel Lynes while the second I coined myself.

• I’d agree with you but then we’d both be wrong
• For me to be right, you have to be wrong.

I am concerned with the midterm elections and then the next Presidential election.  I hope the midterms run smoothly and we see centrist candidates emerge.  I think there is a better chance that the elections run smoothly than we see a swing to the middle.  We shall see.