Psychology · Level 3 · 161 words
Seeing What We Expect
Original passage © Team AM, written for Hone Literacy.
Once we form a belief, the mind quietly begins to defend it. We notice facts that fit what we already think and skim past those that do not. This habit is called confirmation bias, and it operates below our awareness, which is what makes it so stubborn.
Consider someone convinced that a certain food cures colds. When they recover after eating it, they count that as proof. When they stay sick, they decide they simply did not eat enough, or they forget the case entirely. Every outcome is bent to support the belief.
The danger is not that we hold opinions but that we stop testing them. A more careful thinker deliberately searches for evidence that could prove the belief wrong. If the belief survives that honest search, it has earned more trust. Confirmation bias is not a sign of stupidity; even brilliant people fall into it. It is simply the path of least mental effort, and resisting it takes practice.
Comprehension questions
1. The passage is mainly about
- A why certain foods cure colds
- B how we favor evidence that supports beliefs we already hold
- C why brilliant people make fewer mistakes
- D the importance of holding strong opinions
Show answer
B. how we favor evidence that supports beliefs we already hold
The whole passage defines and illustrates confirmation bias, the tendency to favor confirming evidence.
2. According to the passage, what makes a belief more trustworthy?
- A Holding it confidently
- B Finding many people who agree
- C Surviving an honest search for evidence against it
- D Repeating it often
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C. Surviving an honest search for evidence against it
The text says if a belief survives a search for disproving evidence, it 'has earned more trust.'
3. As used here, 'stubborn' most nearly means
- A easy to remove
- B hard to change or overcome
- C loud and obvious
- D rarely noticed by anyone
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B. hard to change or overcome
The bias is called stubborn because it operates below awareness, making it hard to change.
Source: Written for Hone Literacy. Original passage © Team AM, written for Hone Literacy.