How does confirmation bias affect our decision-making process?

Confirmation bias is when we look for and believe things that match what we already think, like a favorite toy always showing up in our pockets.

Imagine you have two types of candy: chocolate and gummy worms. You love chocolate, so every time you grab a piece from the bag, you hope it’s chocolate. When it is, you’re happy. But when it’s a gummy worm, you might not even notice it, or you might pretend it's chocolate! This is confirmation bias in action: you're only paying attention to what confirms your favorite candy.

When we make decisions, confirmation bias can lead us to pick the same answers again and again.

Think of it like choosing a playground slide, if you always go for the red slide because you think it's the best, you might not even try the green one, just because you believe the red one is better. You're not checking other options, you’re only looking for what agrees with your first thought.

So next time you pick your favorite snack or slide, remember: you might be letting confirmation bias decide for you!