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Belief Bias

Definition

Belief bias is the tendency to judge the strength of arguments based on the plausibility of their conclusion rather than how strongly they support that conclusion.

Analogy

Imagine you're a detective trying to solve a case. You have two suspects, one with a strong alibi and another who seems guilty but has no concrete evidence against him. If you let your belief in the second suspect's guilt cloud your judgment, ignoring the lack of evidence, that's like belief bias.

Related terms

Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

Cognitive Dissonance: The mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time.

Heuristic: A mental shortcut that allows people to solve problems and make judgments quickly and efficiently.

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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.