Bias and IgnoranceMike Rappaport

Arnold Kling has an interesting column on why democratic politics does such a poor job.  In the main, it does use information well or learning very well from its mistakes.  He writes:

I am going to suggest that democratic politics is a very poorinformation-processing mechanism. The great mass of people form theirpolitical beliefs with little regard for facts or logic. However, theelites also have a strategy for avoiding truth. Elites form theirpolitical beliefs dogmatically, using their cleverness to organizefacts to fit preconceived prejudices. The masses’ strategy for avoidingtruth is to make a low investment in understanding; the elites’strategy is to make a large investment in selectively choosing whichfacts and arguments to emphasize or ignore.

[Elites] highlight information and arguments that support their priorbeliefs. When they encounter contrary evidence, they engage in”motivated skepticism,” seeking to undermine the credibility orminimize the significance of the adverse information. 

This last point appears to an instance of the confirmation bias.  We seek and remember information that confirms our beliefs.  When we come across information we don’t like, we attempt to attack it or to undermine it.

This analysis, sadly, rings very true to me, both about my own behavior and the behavior of others. 

Still, what is interesting is that people do change their minds on matters.  Over time, I have altered my views.  Perhaps, then, the above analysis only tells part of the story.  Still, changing ones views does not mean that one is changing them for the right reasons.  Perhaps we change our views when we develop a new prejudice for nonrational reasons.