Mini: Understanding Confirmation Bias / Spartan MIND 051

We make thousands of choices in just one day. What we wear, choose to eat, and decide to do are just a tiny few. Micro-decisions are made constantly and it’s important to understand one of the phenomena that informs our choices. Something called confirmation bias is often behind many of our decisions and also behind the way that we develop a view of ourself. Confirmation bias occurs when we pay attention to and focus on information that confirms a pre-existing belief, value, or assumption. For example, let’s say you don’t think you’re very smart. Because of confirmation bias, you will naturally, though sometimes without awareness, look for information that confirms this belief. So you may pay attention to that one critique that you got on a project review instead of the fifty positive statements that came your way. It’s important to understand confirmation bias and bring into awareness how this may be impacting your beliefs and subsequent choices.

LESSONS: Understanding why certain beliefs are held and decisions are made is an important step in getting to know yourself better. Confirmation bias occurs when you pay attention to information that confirms pre-existing beliefs or assumptions. Pay attention to what information you focus on and what beliefs you may be looking to confirm or validate.

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CREDITS:

Production Team: Heather Knox, Knox Creative; Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Host: Dr. Lara Pence Synopsis: Dr. Lara Pence

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