Confirmation bias (also confirmatory bias, myside bias, or congeniality bias) is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs, values, or decisions. People display this bias when they select information that supports their views, ignoring contrary information or when they interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting their existing attitudes. The effect is strongest for desired outcomes, emotionally charged issues and deeply entrenched beliefs. Confirmation bias often comes from automatic mental habits. Studies repeatedly find that people tend to test ideas in a one sided way, mainly searching for evidence that supports what they already assume. Research on selective exposure also suggests that people differ in how strongly they defend their attitudes, with some individuals being more resistant to information that goes against their views. Biased...