Confirmationbacked

Confirmationbacked is an adjective used to describe claims, conclusions, or positions that are supported primarily by confirmation bias rather than independent corroborating evidence. The term draws attention to the way favorable prior beliefs can steer data interpretation and source selection, producing an appearance of justification.

Origin and usage: The coinage blends confirmation bias with the notion of being backed by evidence. In debates on science communication, journalism, or policy, a statement may be labeled confirmationbacked when cited sources are selectively chosen to confirm a hypothesis while contradictory information is omitted or discounted.

Examples: A report that cites only studies agreeing with its thesis and omits contrary results could be described as confirmationbacked. In everyday discourse, remarks that rely on anecdotal examples and self-reinforcing arguments rather than broad data can be considered confirmationbacked.

Relation to other concepts: The term is closely related to confirmation bias, cherry-picking, and motivated reasoning. It serves as a caution against neglecting disconfirming evidence and as a prompt for more rigorous evidence gathering and critical appraisal.

See also:

- Confirmation bias

- Cherry-picking

- Motivated reasoning

- Evidence-based practice