This Brain Region Lights Up When People Display Confirmation Bias

A small region of the brain responds more strongly to information that agrees with our opinions than information that contradicts us.

By Leslie Nemo
Dec 16, 2019 10:21 PMDec 16, 2019 10:59 PM
Deciding
Our brains pay more attention to information that reinforces our preexisting opinions. (Credit: pathdoc/Shutterstock)

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Humans have a hard time changing their minds. A chief culprit is often confirmation bias — the tendency to reject new information that counteracts our beliefs and pay attention to information that supports them. Now, a new brain imaging study provides some insights into the specific regions that give rise to confirmation bias.

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