Confirmation Bias

What does it mean in everyday language?

People may look harder for reasons they are right than for reasons they could be mistaken. They may also scrutinize opposing evidence more strictly than evidence they welcome.

An example

Hypothetical example: a reader accepts generated articles supporting a theory while dismissing contrary research without examining its methods.

A more precise definition

Confirmation bias refers to selective information seeking, interpretation, or evaluation that favors a prior belief or hypothesis. It describes several related patterns rather than a single behavior that occurs in every situation.

Key features

• Can affect which evidence is sought
• Can affect how the same evidence is interpreted
• Is identified by patterns of evaluation, not disagreement alone

Where the definition stops

It is not proof that a person's belief is false. Accepting a well-supported claim is not biased merely because it agrees with a prior view.

How it relates to synthetic imprinting

Prior beliefs may shape how people select and interpret synthetic content. A study of lasting change should measure those beliefs before exposure.

Research context

Nickerson's review describes confirmation bias across multiple forms of reasoning. The concept supports examining how evidence is handled; it does not justify inferring someone's thought process from a single conclusion.

Related terms

• Misinformation Established Concept
• Epistemic Vigilance Established Concept
• Lateral Reading Established Concept

Sources and further reading

1. Confirmation Bias: A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises — Raymond S. Nickerson (1998). Review of General Psychology.

Cite this definition

What the status means

First published

2026-09-24

Updated

2026-09-24

Version

1.0

Prepared by

SyntheticImprinting.com Editorial Project

Review status

External expert review pending

Page address

https://syntheticimprinting.com/terms/confirmation-bias/

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