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POH 105 Ounce of Prevention: Public Health Past

This course guide was designed to assist students in POH105 with conducting library research for their assignments

Avoiding Confirmation Bias

“Confirmation bias…is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.  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 position.” 

Confirmation Bias. (2021, January 29). In Wikipedia.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

 

 

Tips to Avoid Confirmation Bias:

  • Remember that your research question is a question – don’t assume an answer before you do your research
  • You may change your mind after reading more on the topic - be open to that!
  • When selecting resources, ask yourself:

1. Do all my sources say the same thing?

2. Are all my sources from the same outlet?

3. Do I agree with what all my sources are saying?

4. What might someone who disagrees with me say?

Gumberg Library, Duquesne University. (2021, January 29). “Confirmation Bias”. Gumberg Library.https://guides.library.duq.edu/confirmation-bias