belief bias

the tendency to be influenced by one’s knowledge about the world in evaluating conclusions and to accept them as true because they are believable rather than because they are logically valid. Belief bias is most often assessed with syllogistic reasoning tasks in which the believability of the conclusion conflicts with logical validity. For example, given the syllogisms All flowers have petals; roses have petals; therefore, roses are flowers and All fish can swim; tuna are fish; therefore, tuna can swim, an individual is more likely to rely upon prior knowledge and personal beliefs and to accept both conclusions as valid when in fact only the second is logically valid.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

agape

n. a complex form of love involving feelings of tenderness; protectiveness; self-denial; and aesthetic preference for the features, gestures, speech, and other traits of a person. The term, which derives from a Greek word meaning “brotherly love,” is sometimes used to denote an unselfish love as taught by such religious figures as Jesus and the Buddha.