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'''Confirmation bias''' is the tendency to accept evidence confirming what one already feels justified in believing while ignoring, downplaying, or even rejecting evidence that might tend to contradict one's beliefs.

'''Confirmation bias''' is the tendency to accept evidence confirming what one already feels justified in believing while ignoring, downplaying, or even rejecting evidence that might tend to contradict one's beliefs.  Confirmation bias is a form of [[cognitive bias]].

Confirmation bias sabotages objectivity by discarding or ignoring data which challenges the prevailing consensus. The best scientists consciously strive to overcome this psychological tendency, while advertisers, partisans and many journalists try exploit it. This is because almost everyone is subject to confirmation bias to at least some degree, and it is one of the most difficult logical fallacies to overcome. For example, when watching a favorite sports team, it is very difficult to spot infractions made by your own team, and very easy to spot those made by the other - while someone cheering for the other team will notice the reverse. The objective mindset is that certain infractions will be penalized regardless of which team you want to win.  

Confirmation bias sabotages objectivity by discarding or ignoring data which challenges the prevailing consensus. The best scientists consciously strive to overcome this psychological tendency, while advertisers, partisans and many journalists try exploit it. This is because almost everyone is subject to confirmation bias to at least some degree, and it is one of the most difficult logical fallacies to overcome. For example, when watching a favorite sports team, it is very difficult to spot infractions made by your own team, and very easy to spot those made by the other - while someone cheering for the other team will notice the reverse. The objective mindset is that certain infractions will be penalized regardless of which team you want to win.