Which term means favoring information that confirms what you already believe, and dismissing information that challenges it?

• A. Confirmation Bias
• B. Filter Bubble
• C. Viral
• D. Disinformation

Answer: (A)

Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms what you already believe and to overlook or dismiss information that challenges those beliefs. This happens when you seek out sources that agree with you, interpret ambiguous evidence in a way that supports your view, and remember supporting examples more than conflicting ones. In media literacy, spotting this bias helps you evaluate sources more fairly, compare diverse viewpoints, and test conclusions against evidence rather than just what feels right to you. For example, you might read only articles that align with your stance and treat opposing data as biased, even when it’s valid. A related idea is a filter bubble—an online environment that makes you see mostly familiar views, which can reinforce confirmation bias, but the bias itself is the cognitive tendency. Viral describes how quickly something spreads, not the tendency to favor confirming information, and disinformation refers to false information meant to mislead, not the bias in processing information. Understanding this helps you approach information more objectively.