Psychologycalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Confirmation Bias?
/ˌkɒnˈfɜːmeɪʃən ˈbaɪəs/
Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms your existing beliefs, while ignoring contradictory evidence.
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Everyday Example
If you believe a certain diet works, you notice every success story about it and dismiss or forget every failure — that is confirmation bias in action.
publicReal-World Application
“Doctors, investors, and detectives all fall prey to confirmation bias — once they form a hypothesis, they unconsciously seek evidence that supports it and overlook what does not.”
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Did you know?
The term was coined by English psychologist Peter Wason in 1960 based on his "rule discovery" experiments where participants consistently sought confirming rather than disconfirming evidence.
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Key Insight
The antidote to confirmation bias is actively trying to disprove your own beliefs — the same discipline required by scientific thinking and good investing.
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