A Research Paper By Marcela Bubnikova, Life Coach, SWITZERLAND
Why It Is Important to Understand Confirmation Bias and How to Manage It
In this paper, I will discuss confirmation bias which is one of the most common cognitive distortions. I believe that learning about confirmation bias significantly influences a coach´s competencies and skills to help their clients. What we believe in determines the destiny of our life. It’s crucial to our decision-making, the way we think, (our) perceptions, and even the feelings we experience. In this paper, I will explain what confirmation bias is and how this cognitive trait can be explained. I will also discuss the three types of confirmation bias and how it impacts our lives/people’s lives. Additionally, I focus on why it is important to understand confirmation bias and how to manage it.
Undoubtedly, confirmation bias is one of the biases which we encounter every day and has a vital impact on people’s lives. The notion of confirmation bias means that people search for or interpret information or events in a way to approve their beliefs, assumptions, hypotheses, or opinion. On the other hand, facts or evidence, which could dismiss or disprove a belief, are overlooked, ignored, or stigmatized. This cognitive bias is instrumental in the perception of people, events, objects, and the way information is processed. For example, Judges and jurors could create opinions without knowing all the facts, and doctors could treat patients without being familiar with all symptoms. In a coaching setting, this could be how much a client trusts in the success of the session or finding a solution to their problems. Foremost, as coaches, we are likely to encounter confirmation bias on a daily basis and can support them to overcome negative beliefs to attain their goals.
The essential law of the brain – The possible explanations of causes of confirmation bias.
The essential law of the brain means that once we comprehend the way the brain operates and where confirmation bias stems from, it increases our awareness and gives us the skills to create an effective strategy to thrive mentally and emotionally.
One of the possible explanations why human beings are irrational and prone to disorder facts and evidence could be, as Lisa Feldman Barrett argues, that the brain has only one purpose –to survive. In order to keep us alive, the brain needs energy. One of the ways to think about confirmation bias could be to see it as a cognitive shortcut to quickly process and evaluate information so that the brain still has enough energy to act accordingly.
Additionally, Feldman-Barret argued that the brain decodes the environment each minute to give meaning, for example, when the brain sees a chair, it doesn’t think about the object as about the chair. It rather decodes what that subject could be based on past experience or accessible information. Therefore, the other explanation could be that the brain selects familiar information which could explain how underlying beliefs are confirmed. When comes to managing confirmation bias it is important to bear in mind what draws attention to something and initiates a chain of thoughts that leads to hypotheses or opinions.
Moreover, there is another theory, which claims that the brain looks for order in chaos. The world, and predominantly life, is unpredictable, full of conveniences and random events which have a significant impact on life. From this point of view, confirmation bias could be underpinned by the notion that the brain looks to dissolve chaos by the easiest explanation. Creating a narrative and looking for information to confirm our theories avoids cognitive distress and helps people to navigate their lives better. However, at this point, it’s important to emphasize that it’s not about having an effective strategy but having an explanation, which could be repeatedly applied to dissolve chaos.
Without any doubt, there could be a myriad of theories to explain the causes of confirmation bias and its cognitive purpose, however, understanding its fundamental function in the brain could help coaches effectively help their clients to achieve their goals.
The Multifaced Confirmation Bias
“You see, I told you!” – Searching for evidence
A couple of weeks ago I had a coaching session with a great woman, who has decided to change the way she lives. At one point we talked about the fact that she feels shame about dining alone in the restaurant because people would think she is weird. Later, when I tried to challenge her perception she said, “doesn’t matter how many people would think it´s ok that I am alone in a restaurant, even one would make me feel shame about myself!”
Even though only one person in one hundred would have a negative opinion, she would take it as facts to claim her belief is valid. This example demonstrated one of the ways confirmation bias works. We seek information that approves beliefs that we hold about ourselves or the world and ignore other evidence, which could be in contradiction to this.
Interpretation
Another form of confirmation bias is the way we interpret information. We are prone to explain or use evidence to make them fit in our story and confirm then that we are right. Although we can seek and choose contra-arguments to disprove our hypothesis, we are keen to examine information in our favor. Without a doubt, this could affect both how we approach relationships and professional situations. For example, scientists could easily overlook evidence, which would disprove their theory.Equally/in addition, if we don’t like someone, we could interpret any kind of behavior as bad.
Memories/Experiences
Confirmatory memory or memory accesses bias is an error of thinking when information is recalled in ways to support current expectations. For example, in a study woman was described with both extrovert and introvert characteristic traits, one group of participants was asked if the woman is right for a position as a librarian, the other group got a real estate agent, and each group recall that kind of characteristics trait which supports one of the positions. In a coaching session, we are not supposed to focus on past events, however, it could be a source of information about clients’ values and needs as it could highlight the client´s focus.
The Impact of Confirmation Bias
Unquestionably, confirmation bias has a significant impact on our decision-making. It could increase our willpower to continue in our work, or it could exacerbate issues or problems. The threat of confirmation bias is that people may hold false beliefs despite the fact that the evidence shows the opposite, which could take a toll on our decisions. Detrimental beliefs could hinder us from developing efficient strategies to reach a goal. For example, a client who has negative beliefs such as imposter syndrome, which is described as doubting personal´s abilities and feeling like a fraud, could have less success in their career, such as struggling to ask for a promotion or apply for a new job.
Importantly, I believe that the beliefs that people hold influence their well-being. People could struggle or experience emotional discomfort due to the fact that their beliefs could be in contradiction, a concept which is known as Cognitive dissonance. At this point, people could reach out for help as they feel restricted by their ideas or desires. Cognitive dissonance could be one of the most common reasons why people experience difficulties.
On the other hand, confirmation bias could serve us well and help us in achieving our goals. I think that being certain of something without having evidence could impact the result. For example, believing that something is possible, such as completing a university course, would also create a more positive attitude and improve well-being.
The Importance of Knowledge of Confirmation Bias in Coaching Settings
One of the reasons why I have chosen to write about confirmation bias is that it is instrumental in creating supportive environments for clients and understanding their needs and values. Because their beliefs have a significant impact on the success of a session, their beliefs could be part of their problems and solutions, their beliefs determine their obstacles and their wins. Certainly, a coach needs to develop the ability to recognize those adverse beliefs in their clients and mirror them back.
I think that the fundamental aim of a coaching session is a coachee´s faith to meet the desired outcome of the sessions because the coachee’s attitude will elevate the energy of the session and boost the process. A coach could spend time exploring a coachee´s thoughts and expectations of the coach-coachee affiliations because one of the reasons why coachee hasn’t attained their goals could be the fact that they simply think it’s impossible. This could be the basis for coaching sessions when a coachee works on their underlying beliefs.
Undoubtedly, other reasons why a coachee hires a coach could be that they seek a thinking partner to get out of the box. Importantly, a coach helps their clients to change perspective, which in some cases could be changing their beliefs that could be observed as the way a client feels. For example, to go back to the story of my client, when she believes that going alone to a restaurant is essentially wrong, she could experience negative feelings such as shame, guilt, or humiliation. The coach could challenge the coachee’s belief that eating alone in a restaurant is wrong, which could impact the coachee’s feelings and give them more freedom to fulfill their desires.
Infinity Fight, a.k.a. How to Tackle Confirmation Bias
Challenge the Way You Think
One of the ways to manage confirmation bias is to challenge opinions, thoughts, and ideas. In coaching sessions, the coach supports the client in reflecting on their thinking patterns to initiate a process of change. Interestingly, although the coach wouldn’t have any knowledge about confirmation bias, essentially, the coach´s role is to be a thinking partner, which would ultimately confirm their biases. In order to help overcome confirmation bias, the coach asks open questions and stays open and curious about the coachee´s reasons, values, importance, or notions.
Getting Out of Comfort Zone
Certainly, the coach could invite a coachee to get out of their comfort zone to explore new thoughts or strategies. I believe this could help clients as they could gain a better understanding of their situations, confront their hypothesis with reality, learn about themselves or try a new thing that could expand their horizons.
Avoid Jumping to a Conclusion
Undoubtedly, jumping to a conclusion is at the heart of confirmation bias. Creating an assumption without having all facts and being certain about the truth. Therefore, being conscious that we do not hold all the facts could impact the way we think. For example, asking ourselves questions such as “what don’t I know? What information have I missed?” could be beneficial.
Discuss Your Thoughts
Experts agreed that one of the ways to overcome confirmation bias could be to join a conversation with a person who has an opposing opinion. The reason for this could be that the other person could present arguments or perspectives which we didn’t take into account. It´s not about changing or challenging our opinion, however, this can help us to gain new perspectives (on a specific situation or problem). In coaching sessions, a coach could ask a client to whom he/she could talk about their issues, who could give them a piece of great advice, or who are an expert on their issues in their environment.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that it’s clear that confirmation bias as a cognitive distortion has a significant impact on all aspects of an individual’s life, from their career to their family life. Our beliefs determine what facts or information take into consideration and what is drawn our attention, which results in where we invest our energy. If our beliefs are fundamentally adverse, we could live unhappily. If we hold a positive belief, we are seeking a good thing, because we would interpret events or behavior of others positively. Confirmation bias influences our well-being and our feelings overall. I think that it’s central to the coaching process to understand what confirmation bias is, how it impacts individuals, and how it affects the coaching process. Undoubtedly, the coach could use some of the tools in a coaching session to help their clients to evoke awareness, initiate the process of growth, and offer other perspectives.
References
https://www.britannica.com/Science/Confirmation-Bias
https://en.wikipedia.org/Wiki/confirmation_bias
https://en.wikipedia.org/Wiki/halo_effect#Psychology
https://www.verywellmind.com/What-Is-A-Confirmation-Bias-2795024
https://mind.help/Topic/Confirmation-Bias/
How Emotions Are Made, the Secret Life of the Brain, Lisa Feldman Barret, 2017
Imposter Syndrome