Confirmation Bias in Health and Disease Perception
Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon in which people tend to seek, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs or assumptions. This bias can significantly impact how individuals process health-related information, particularly when they are not well-versed in certain medical or scientific topics.  For example, someone unfamiliar with modern genetics may cling to outdated or oversimplified explanations of disease—perhaps attributing illness to lifestyle alone, or to environmental factors in isolation—while ignoring or discounting scientific evidence that points to genetic or epigenetic causes. This is not a failure of intelligence but rather a cognitive shortcut that helps people make sense of complex information by aligning it with what they already believe.  I personally became aware of the concept of confirmation bias through the work of Steve Gardner , whose explanations helped clarify why people may resist new scientific evidence, espe...