Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Metacognition01:26

Metacognition

409
Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...
409
Self-Serving Bias01:29

Self-Serving Bias

77
Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
77
Confirmation Biases01:31

Confirmation Biases

7.5K
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
7.5K
Motivational Bias01:25

Motivational Bias

201
Cognitive bias results from limitations in thinking and information processing, leading to systematic errors in judgment. Conversely, motivational bias stems from personal desires or emotions, causing distortions in perception to align with self-interest. Motivational bias influences how individuals perceive and attribute causes to events, often shaped by personal needs, goals, and self-esteem preservation. This bias can distort judgment, leading to inaccurate assessments of success, failure,...
201
Hindsight Biases01:12

Hindsight Biases

4.1K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now? 
4.1K
Unrealistic Optimism Bias01:30

Unrealistic Optimism Bias

89
Unrealistic optimism bias is the tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes. This cognitive bias makes individuals believe they are less likely to experience failures, setbacks, or risks and more likely to succeed than others. For example, people may assume they are less prone to health issues, accidents, or financial struggles than their peers, even when they share similar risk factors.One key component of this bias is the above-average effect, where individuals perceive...
89

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

How attention simplifies mental representations for planning.

eLife·2026
Same author

What can we learn from studying replay in humans?

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026
Same author

Metacognition and post-decisional processing in clinical decision-making.

Presse medicale (Paris, France : 1983)·2026
Same author

Looking ahead: Sensory horizons and the science of consciousness.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same author

A neuronal basis for mental imagery.

Cell research·2026
Same author

AI-driven mental health decision support linked to clinician resilience and preparedness.

Frontiers in digital health·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 16, 2025

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

6.1K

Confirmation bias is adaptive when coupled with efficient metacognition.

Max Rollwage1,2, Stephen M Fleming1,2,3

  • 1Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|February 22, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Confirmation bias can be adaptive if individuals possess good metacognition, enabling them to weigh evidence effectively. Enhancing metacognition may reduce polarization by mitigating selective information processing.

Keywords:
adaptive rationalitybelief updatingconfirmation biasmetacognitionselective information processing

More Related Videos

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats
08:06

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Published on: June 18, 2018

7.5K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

941

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 16, 2025

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
05:48

The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients

Published on: June 12, 2020

6.1K
Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats
08:06

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Published on: June 18, 2018

7.5K
The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

941

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Modeling

Background:

  • Biases in evidence consideration hinder consensus among individuals with differing viewpoints.
  • While often detrimental in lab settings, confirmation bias is widespread, suggesting potential adaptive benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the adaptiveness of confirmation bias based on metacognitive abilities.
  • To explore how metacognitive insight influences the behavioral consequences of selective information processing.

Main Methods:

  • Simulation-based modeling was employed to explore the relationship between confirmation bias and metacognition.
  • Agents' introspective abilities were analyzed for their impact on decision-making outcomes.

Main Results:

  • The adaptiveness of confirmation bias is contingent upon an agent's metacognitive insight.
  • Selective information processing, when paired with good metacognition, can enhance decision-making compared to unbiased evidence accumulation.
  • Behavioral outcomes of selective information processing are systematically influenced by agents' metacognitive abilities.

Conclusions:

  • Confirmation bias can be adaptive, particularly when individuals possess strong metacognitive skills.
  • Boosting metacognition could be a strategy to mitigate negative effects of selective information processing, such as political polarization.