Example # 2 : Joe told Susan about how the evidence for the moon landing hoax is " overwhelming ." Susan asked him how he came to this conclusion , then proceeded to educate Joe about the confirmation bias and its likely role in Joe ' s " research ." Joe , appreciating reason , admits that he might have only looked for confirming evidence . He then goes back and spends a few hours looking at the evidence for the moon landings and evidence that claims to debunk the conspiracy theorists ' claims . Joe is not impressed . He still believes in the hoax theory , although less confident in his belief than before .
Joe , although appreciating reason , is still human . Joe is emotionally invested in the idea that the moon landing was a hoax because it would be , in Joe ' s words , " the greatest conspiracy of all time ." Besides , he wants to be right and prove Susan wrong . These are unconscious thoughts so Joe does not realize that these thoughts have influenced how he evaluated the evidence .
All three forms of confirmation bias are working together , forming a feedback loop .
Example # 3 : Susan asks Joe about his history with the moon landings , how much he remembers , and if he remembers any controversy . Joe was seventeen years old in 1969 , and he remembers watching the event on television . He also remembers several discussions and events since that time when the legitimacy of the moon landings was brought into question . It turns out that Joe has always been very skeptical that we landed men on the moon .
Joe managed to recall conversations and events that provide " evidence " for the moon landings being a hoax , whereas he does not recall events that support the moon landings . All three forms of confirmation bias are working together forming a feedback loop that is making it very difficult for Joe to evaluate the evidence critically .
References : Hamilton , D . L . ( 2005 ). Social cognition : Key readings . New York : Psychology Press .
Lord , C . G ., Ross , L ., & Lepper , M . R . ( 1979 ). Biased assimilation and attitude polarization : The effects of prior theories on subsequently considered evidence . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 37 ( 11 ), 2098-2109 . doi : 10.1037 / 0022- 3514.37.11.2098
Nickerson , R . S . ( 1998 ). Confirmation bias : A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises . Review of General Psychology , 2 ( 2 ), 175 – 220 . doi : 10.1037 / 1089-2680.2.2.175
Popular speaker and author Bo Bennett ( PhD , Social Psychology ) is a successful businessman who has a passion for critical thinking and smart broadcasts . He is the host of the Humanist Hour , and Dr . Bo Show , where he discusses topics from business and social sciences .