Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias that means people tend to look for, understand, and remember information in a way that backs up what they already believe, expect, or think. This bias can make people ignore or dismiss information that goes against what they believe and only accept and remember information that backs up what they believe.
Confirmation bias is a common human trait that affects people in many parts of their lives, such as politics, religion, science, and making everyday decisions. It can be especially hard to deal with when an objective and unbiased analysis is needed, like in scientific research, court cases, and making business decisions.
Confirmation bias can lead to a number of bad things, like:
Limiting creativity and innovation: When people are too focused on proving what they already think, they might miss out on new ideas or different ways of looking at things.
Hindering problem-solving: Confirmation bias can prevent individuals from considering all available information when making decisions or solving problems, leading to flawed decisions.
Confirmation bias can make stereotypes and prejudices stronger by making people only pay attention to information that backs up their beliefs and ignoring information that goes against them.
Confirmation bias can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts when people with different beliefs only accept and remember information that supports their positions. This can lead to disagreements and fights.
To avoid confirmation bias, people should try to find and think about different points of view and ideas, question their own beliefs and assumptions, and look at information with an open mind.
Usage
It is used in project monitoring and control
