What type of bias might cause someone to favor information that confirms their existing beliefs?

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency of individuals to favor, seek out, and interpret information in a way that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or values. This cognitive bias operates at both the information-gathering stage and during the interpretation of that information. For instance, if someone holds a strong opinion about a specific topic, they are more likely to notice, remember, and give credit to facts or opinions that support their view, while disregarding or undervaluing opposing viewpoints.

This bias can have significant impacts on decision-making and critical thinking, as it limits the exposure to diverse perspectives and can reinforce misguided beliefs. Recognizing confirmation bias is essential for fostering objective reasoning, as it encourages individuals to critically evaluate all evidence rather than selectively focusing on data that supports their stance.

The other biases mentioned do not specifically relate to this tendency of favoring confirming information. Overconfidence bias reflects an individual's belief in their own judgment being more reliable than it is. Availability bias occurs when people overestimate the importance of information that is readily available or recent in their memory. Representativeness bias involves judging the probability of an event based on how similar it is to a prototype or existing stereotype, rather than relying on actual statistical evidence.