Confirmation bias

What is Confirmation Bias?

Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, or remember information in a way that confirms our pre-existing beliefs, while ignoring or downplaying evidence that contradicts them.

Example

"Feng shui says placing a water fountain in the living room brings prosperity. After I did it, I got a small bonus at work! (But I ignore the fact that many months passed without extra income.)"

It’s confirmation bias because the person highlights one supportive event (small bonus at work) while disregarding the many contradictory ones (that many months passed without extra income), reinforcing their prior belief instead of evaluating all the evidence fairly.