6.4: Confirmation Bias in Research

Introduction to Bias in Research

Bias is a natural part of being human, every one of us sees the world through our own experiences, values, and assumptions. These mental shortcuts help us make quick decisions in everyday life, but they can also shape how we interpret information without us realizing it. Bias doesn’t only influence us as readers and researchers; it also affects the people who create the information we rely on. Authors of research papers, journalists, content creators, organizations, and even professors can include bias intentionally or unintentionally in the way they explain, support, or frame ideas. This means that every piece of information we encounter, an article, a study, a speech, a class lecture, comes from someone with a perspective.

In the research process for public speaking, recognizing bias is essential. Bias can shape which facts are highlighted or ignored, how evidence is presented, and even which sources are chosen. Understanding your own biases helps you avoid searching only for information that supports what you already believe. Being aware of potential bias in sources helps you evaluate credibility, question assumptions, and build stronger, more balanced speeches. In this section, we will explore different types of bias, including confirmation bias and information bias, and learn strategies to identify and reduce their influence on your research and your communication.

We See What We Want To See 

The phrase "we see what we want to see" illustrates how confirmation bias leads us to notice and remember information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring or dismissing evidence that contradicts them. This selective perception reinforces our opinions, making it harder to consider opposing viewpoints or change our minds.

The Misconception: Your opinions are the result of years of rational, objective analysis.

The Truth: Your opinions are the result of years of paying attention to information which confirmed what you believed while ignoring information which challenged your preconceived notions.

What is Confirmation Bias:

It is a tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions.

We actively seek out and assign more weight to evidence that confirms our hypothesis, and ignore or under weigh evidence that could disconfirm our hypothesis.

When we have an idea, we start to reason about that idea, we are going to mostly find arguments for our own idea. We are going to come up with reasons why we’re right, we’re going to come up with justifications for our decisions.

We’re not going to challenge ourselves.

Figure: Model of Confirmation Bias. (OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (September version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat)

 

Confirmation bias occurs when an individual looks for and uses the information to support their own ideas or beliefs. It also means that information not supporting their ideas or beliefs is disregarded.

Confirmation bias often happens when we want certain ideas to be true. This leads individuals to stop gathering information when the retrieved evidence confirms their own viewpoints, which can lead to preconceived opinions (prejudices) that are not based on reason or factual knowledge. Individuals then pick out the bits of information that confirm their prejudices.

Example of Confirmation Bias:

Consider the debate over gun control. Let's say Sally is in support of gun control. She seeks out news stories and opinion pieces that reaffirm the need for limitations on gun ownership. When she hears stories about shootings in the media, she interprets them in a way that supports her existing beliefs.

Henry, on the other hand, is adamantly opposed to gun control. He seeks out news sources that are aligned with his position. When he comes across news stories about shootings, he interprets them in a way that supports his current point of view.

These two people have very different opinions on the same subject and their interpretations are based on their beliefs. Even if they read the same story, their bias tends to shape the way they perceive the details, further confirming their beliefs.

“Thanks to Google, we can instantly seek out support for the most bizarre idea imaginable. If our initial search fails to turn up the results we want, we don’t give it a second thought, rather we just try out a different query and search again.”  Justin Owings

How to Overcome Confirmation Bias

Notice Your Bias in Action: Pay attention to moments when you're only drawn to information that supports what you already believe.

Pause and Question Your Assumptions: Before accepting something as true, ask yourself: Am I believing this just because it aligns with my view?

Actively Challenge Your Beliefs: Look for evidence that contradicts your opinion, make it your goal to try to prove yourself wrong.

Seek Discomfort in Opposing Views: Read, watch, or discuss credible arguments from the other side and sit with the discomfort rather than dismissing them.

Balance the Evidence: Weigh supporting and opposing information equally, applying the same standard of scrutiny to both.

Ask Better, Neutral Questions: Frame questions like “What’s the strongest case against my view?” rather than “Why am I right?”

Reflect and Revise: Keep track of what you believed, what challenged it, and how your thinking evolved to encourage ongoing reflection.

Information Bias

Information bias occurs when the information we receive, search for, or rely on is distorted, incomplete, or misleading, which affects how we understand a topic and the conclusions we draw. It often happens because of how information is selected, presented, or emphasized, sometimes intentionally, but often unintentionally.

Information bias can come from the source itself, from the way data is collected, or from how we interpret what we read.

Examples of Information Bias

Selective Presentation of Facts

An article about student loans highlights only the success stories of students who paid off debt quickly but does not include examples of students who struggled, creating a misleading impression of how easy repayment is.

Overgeneralizing From Limited Data

A blog post claims “most college students don’t use a budget” based on a small survey of friends or followers, which does not represent the larger student population.

Misleading Statistics

A website states that “80% of students overspend each month” without explaining how “overspending” was defined or measured, making the statistic unreliable or misleading.

Ignoring Important Context

A study reports that students who work full-time have lower GPAs, but the summary leaves out critical context—such as socioeconomic factors—that could influence both work hours and academic performance.

Biased Source Selection

A persuasive blog uses only sources from financial companies trying to sell credit cards, leaving out nonprofit or government resources that might provide more balanced guidance for students.

Sensationalized Headlines

A news article exaggerates a small finding (e.g., “College Students Are Terrible With Money!”) even though the actual research shows only a minor trend.

Missing or Cherry-Picked Evidence

A video about meal-prepping claims students can always save $200 a month, but it only includes examples of students who cook every meal and ignores those with limited time or resources.

Influencer-Driven Misinformation

A TikTok or YouTube creator posts a short video claiming that “you can raise your credit score by 100 points in one week” but leaves out important details or uses incorrect information, giving viewers an unrealistic or misleading understanding of how credit scores actually work.

What About Scholarly Articles? 

Even research, scholarly articles, and expert reports can contain information bias because they are created by people who make choices about what information to include, how to present it, and which methods to use. Researchers decide which questions to ask, which data to collect, which results to highlight, and how to interpret their findings and each of these choices can unintentionally shape or distort the information. Funding sources, institutional pressures, personal assumptions, or limited sample sizes can also influence what appears in a study. Even when written by experts, research is not free from bias, which is why critical thinking and careful evaluation are essential parts of the research process.

In the following section, we will explore how to recognize the difference between strong, credible research and weak or misleading information. You’ll learn practical strategies for evaluating sources, identifying red flags, and determining whether evidence is reliable enough to support a college-level speech.

Example \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Example 1: Bias in an Internet Source

Sofia is researching financial literacy for her speech and finds a popular blog claiming that “college students should always use credit cards to build credit.” The article features testimonials and links to several credit card applications, but it leaves out important risks such as high interest rates, late fees, and credit misuse. Because the website benefits financially from credit card sign-ups, the information is selectively presented, creating information bias that pushes a one-sided message.

Example 2: Bias in a Scholarly Article

Ramon is reading a peer-reviewed study about stress and academic performance. The article concludes that students who attend tutoring programs have significantly higher GPAs, but the study never mentions that the tutoring center funded the research. The funding source may have influenced what questions were asked, which data were emphasized, or how the results were interpreted. Even though the article is scholarly, this potential conflict of interest introduces bias that Ramon must consider when deciding how much weight to give this evidence.
 

Key Takeaways

• Bias can appear in our own thinking as well as in the articles, videos, and research created by others, so recognizing it is essential for strong, ethical research.
• Information bias influences how facts are selected, framed, or interpreted, which can distort our understanding of a topic if we are not careful.
• Evaluating sources for accuracy, balance, and credibility helps speakers avoid biased evidence and build more trustworthy, audience-centered speeches.

Exercises 

• Compare Two Sources: Find one internet article and one scholarly article on the same topic, then identify at least two potential biases in each and explain how those biases might influence the message.
• Bias Spotting in Media: Watch a short YouTube or TikTok video explaining a financial or college-related topic and write a brief reflection describing any missing information, selective facts, or biased framing they noticed.
• Self-Bias Check: Choose a topic you already have an opinion about and write a short paragraph identifying your own potential confirmation biases and how those biases could shape the way you search for or interpret information.