When people actively seek out information to support their beliefs while ignoring data that
refutes their beliefs,they are engaging in the availability heuristic.

Question

When people actively seek out information to support their beliefs while ignoring data that	
refutes their beliefs,they are engaging in the availability heuristic.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This behavior is known as confirmation bias, not the availability heuristic. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities. The availability heuristic, on the other hand, is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person's mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision, often leading people to overestimate the probability of events associated with memorable or vivid occurrences.

When People Actively Seek Out Information to Support Their Beliefs