Blog Post #11: EOTO 2 Reactions

From another team’s EOTO presentation, I learned about confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the idea that people tend to seek out information that confirms what they already believe. Oftentimes, rather than focusing on facts, people find evidence for what they already think. This affects people since whenever we receive information our brains have to determine if that information is okay. With confirmation bias, people are only focused on the things their brain cares about. They aren’t looking at the things they aren’t actively seeking.

There are both pros and cons in confirmation bias. While confirmation bias can feel calm and easy, some of the cons of it are that people don’t grow or learn. Confirmation bias increases self confidence because people are confident when they don't care about the facts that don’t support their belief. Confirmation bias happens so strongly in an opinion that it doesn’t even matter if new information comes up.

Confirmation bias can be concerning and dangerous because it limits open-mindedness and seeing new perspectives. It impacts your decision making and won’t let the person see the full picture. Therefore, their brain is missing out on learning and growing. People can hurt themselves and others because of their ignorance. This stubbornness can even extend to their jobs or relationships. A good example is anti-vaxx believers. These people believe they are right and that their opinion is the only one that matters. Anti-vaxxers believe that vaccines are going to kill people, put trackers in children, or even cause autism. Facts like vaccines helping prevent severe illness in babies, elderly populations, and cancer patients get ignored. An anti-vaxxer with confirmation bias might think, “chicken pox and measles are good for kids,” and then notice only the good things of a chicken pox party, highlighting that they are done with the illness and there were no negative consequences.

Confirmation bias happens in our daily lives and everyone has some bias on something. It is interesting to me to see what people’s biases are. Yet, extreme beliefs with confirmation bias lead to conflict and prevent cooperation.