Confirmation bias – A tendency to search for information that confirms one’s preconceptions.
– David Myers, Social Psychology, 8th Ed., pg. 112.
Confirmation bias – connotes the seeking or interpreting of evidence in ways that are partial to existing beliefs, expectations, or a hypothesis in hand.
– Raymond Nickerson, Review of General Psychology, 1998
No doubt all sides of recent political and public policy issues will accuse each other of engaging in confirmation bias. However, let’s see how many examples we can find. I may be adding more to this post as time permits.
Category: psychology
New Essay: Are Sexual Preferences Changeable?
Are Sexual Preferences Changeable?
Warren Throckmorton, PhD
July 19, 2005
Wayne Besen tracks down a dizzying array of former ex-gay leaders who later came out of the closet for good, including the two founders of Exodus. From an article by Mark Benjamin on Salon.com, July 18, 2005.
The article containing the above quote is entitled, Turning Off Gays and is the first of a four part series on the Internet site, Salon.com. The series is billed as an investigation into the Christian netherworld of reparative therapy,™ a disputed practice to convert gays and lesbians into heterosexuals. The topic is important to many due to the current curiosity, both scientific and popular, regarding the nature of sexual orientation.
Are sexual preferences changeable? Activist Wayne Besen, quoted above has made a career out of claiming that such change is impossible. As evidence, the Salon article, referencing Mr. Besen, claims that there were two founders of a prominent organization of former homosexuals, Exodus International, and that both of them reverted to homosexuality.
Are these claims accurate? Let me cut to the chase. Mostly, they are not true. In fact, after investigating the matter, I found that there were more than two people on the founding board of Exodus. Of these founders, only one reverted to homosexuality. Furthermore, one of the two men referred to by Mr. Besen was never in leadership with Exodus.
Here are the details….
To read the rest of the essay, go to DrThrockmorton.com. (This website is no longer functional). I am not sure if the above essay exists anywhere in full which is just as well since I don’t stay by the conclusions.)