A person ignores data that contradicts their theory and focuses only on data that supports it. This is an example of which concept?

A person ignores data that contradicts their theory and focuses only on data that supports it. This is an example of which concept?

• A. Selective observation (confirmation bias)
• B. Illogical reasoning
• C. Cognitive dissonance
• D. Bias blind spot

Answer: (A)

Confirmation bias, shown here as selective observation, happens when someone filters information to fit their preconceptions by paying attention only to data that supports their theory and ignoring data that contradicts it. This makes the theory seem more valid than it actually is because the evidence being considered is unbalanced. In practice, the person notes confirming examples, remembers them, and dismisses or overlooks contradictory results, which is exactly this bias in action. Other terms describe related ideas but don’t fit as precisely: illogical reasoning refers to flawed logic itself rather than a bias in what data gets considered; cognitive dissonance is the discomfort that can drive bias but isn’t the act of selecting data; bias blind spot is the tendency to notice biases in others but not in oneself, not the data-selection process.

Confirmation bias, shown here as selective observation, happens when someone filters information to fit their preconceptions by paying attention only to data that supports their theory and ignoring data that contradicts it. This makes the theory seem more valid than it actually is because the evidence being considered is unbalanced. In practice, the person notes confirming examples, remembers them, and dismisses or overlooks contradictory results, which is exactly this bias in action. Other terms describe related ideas but don’t fit as precisely: illogical reasoning refers to flawed logic itself rather than a bias in what data gets considered; cognitive dissonance is the discomfort that can drive bias but isn’t the act of selecting data; bias blind spot is the tendency to notice biases in others but not in oneself, not the data-selection process.