What does confirmation bias lead people to do?

Confirmation bias leads people to ignore contradictory evidence and to weigh confirming evidence more heavily. This cognitive bias occurs when individuals focus on information that supports their existing beliefs while disregarding or downplaying information that challenges those beliefs. As a result, people may not accurately evaluate situations or make decisions, as their perspective is skewed by their inclination to favor evidence that aligns with their preconceived notions. This can significantly distort one’s reasoning process and lead to flawed conclusions, as the individual systematically overlooks or undervalues relevant evidence that does not support their views.