How does the confirmation bias impact problem-solving strategies?

The confirmation bias can limit problem-solving strategies by causing individuals to seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs.

Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that causes individuals to seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs and ignore information that contradicts them. This bias can impact problem-solving strategies by limiting the amount of information that individuals consider when attempting to solve a problem. If individuals only seek out information that confirms their beliefs, they may miss important information that could help them solve the problem more effectively.

For example, imagine a student who believes that they are bad at maths. If they approach a maths problem with the belief that they are bad at maths, they may only look for information that confirms this belief, such as examples of problems that they struggled with in the past. They may ignore information that contradicts this belief, such as examples of problems that they were able to solve successfully. This confirmation bias can limit their ability to effectively solve the problem.

To overcome the confirmation bias, individuals can actively seek out information that contradicts their pre-existing beliefs. They can also engage in critical thinking and evaluate the evidence objectively, rather than simply accepting information that confirms their beliefs. By doing so, individuals can expand their problem-solving strategies and increase their chances of successfully solving problems.