Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias is the tendency to notice, seek out and believe information that fits what you already think — while giving far less weight to whatever would prove you wrong.
Full definition of Confirmation Bias →:: COMPARE ::
Confirmation biasvsMotivated reasoning
The short answer
Confirmation bias is about which evidence you look at; motivated reasoning is about wanting a particular answer. The distinction matters because you can show confirmation bias with nothing at stake at all — Wason's number triples had no emotional content whatsoever.
Side by side
| Aspect | Confirmation bias | Motivated reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Driven by | Test strategy | Desired conclusion |
| Needs a stake | No | Yes |
| Conscious | Rarely | Sometimes |
| Fix | Test the opposite | Name the want |
What each one means
Motivated reasoning
The contrast above sets out how Motivated reasoning differs from Confirmation Bias on the points that actually matter.