A common error that occurs with everyday thinking is Myside Bias — the tendency for people to evaluate evidence, generate evidence, and test hypotheses in a manner biased toward their own opinions.
Measures of intelligence, often considered synonymous with good thinking, do not assess the avoidance of myside bias (Stanovich & West, 2008; Sternberg, 2001). Intelligence (as measured by popular intelligence tests and their proxies) shows a weak association with avoidance of myside bias, and in some instances, particularly under conditions where explicit instructions have not been given to avoid myside bias, shows no association with the avoidance of this thinking error.
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In Neuro-Linguistic Programming we have delineated what are called “Thinking-Preferences” (Meta-Programs). One of them is the filter called “Sorting by Self”. Honestly, it is difficult not to do as the first perceptual position of “self” is predominant. Bias in the form of belief, inference, various other forms including evaluation/assignment of meaning is constantly happening. The idea is to become more “conscious of our abstracting” – how we think. A commonality that NLP has with General Semantics (theory of evaluation). We are all “abstractors” and we abstract from the worldview that WE hold. Knowing that is what we do and becoming more aware and intentional is a hugely valuable skill to cultivate. Elvis Lester
Hmm, the real problem here occurs when people are elected and making policies based on their opinion and not factual information. Policy towards things like global warming, economics, oil consumption, social impact of social services, and world diplomacy are shaped by people who have only a biased opinion and not scientific observations. Muddling the waters is that there is a plethora of “scientific information” available to support errant opinions that is based on anything but science. Escalating of small facts is common practice as well. Some people can see physical documentation and still resolve that the opposing facts are wrong.
I wonder how much of this mentality comes from US becoming a “borderline society”. Is it possible that 2 parents working, 50% divorce rate, in school by age 6, minimal exposure to parental care givers, fear and insecurity the most common marketing tool, and lack of reward for open mindedness have lead to a deep rooted psychological need to be “right” no matter what? We live in such an insecure world, having our reality challenged and defeated leaves us feeling vulnerable. is it possible that it takes us back to that young age when we learned our parents lied to us about Santa, the Easter bunny, alcohol, school, and lying in general? We have went from a natural uncomfortable feeling when wrong to an outright fear of it as it has become painful. Freud would have us believe that anything painful gets repressed. If being wrong is painful, simply repress it.
LOL, but that would be my biased opinion i guess.
Isn’t this so-called “MySide Bias” merely a pop-psych name for confirmation bias: the tendency to seek out and assign more value to evidence that confirms one’s beliefs while ignoring or devaluing evidence that disagrees with one’s values.
Seems to me (H
I don’t know what strange combination of keys I just hit, but i certainly wasn’t ready to send that off. Sorry
Isn’t this so-called “MySide Bias” merely a pop-psych name for confirmation bias: the tendency to seek out and assign more value to evidence that confirms one’s beliefs while ignoring or devaluing evidence that disagrees with one’s values.
Seems to me (hah!) that attaching a different “name” to the same behaviour doesn’t clarify anything, but simply clouds the water.
Christine