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‹ The Negativity Bias

Confirmation Bias Online. The lie your brain prefers.

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Confirmation Bias Online

The lie your brain prefers

The habit of trusting evidence that agrees with what is already believed.

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You do not search for information. You search for agreement. The brain treats evidence that confirms your existing belief as more credible than evidence that contradicts it. This happens automatically. Online, the effect multiplies because search engines and feeds return what matches your history.

  • Test yourself: search for evidence against something you believe. Notice how it feels compared to searching for evidence that supports it.
  • Scientists are trained to try to disprove their own ideas. That practice works outside labs too.
SourceNickerson (1998), confirmation bias review
Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011)

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