Confirmation bias in digital communication: The tendency of consumers to favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs

Abstract

Certain members of society, who are characterized by overconfidence, a relatively low level of knowledge, and a high level of misinformation or incomplete information, tend to selectively choose information from real life or the digital environment, in order to confirm their earlier incorrect beliefs. This phenomenon, known as "confirmation bias", is widely recognized in every society and mainly occurs in political discussions (by self-proclaimed "political analysts"), but also in discussions on the topic of global conspiracy theories. This kind of phenomenon is increasingly present in digital communication among consumers. Such individuals unfoundedly influence their followers (via electronic word of mouth or writing inaccurate reviews) by favoring one product or service over competing ones with baseless, truncated information or misinformation. Spreading misinformation in the digital environment can have very dangerous consequences. There are a large number of practical examples in which the spread of misinformation led to riots in the streets and violent behavior that even caused deaths.