Tip Sheet: On the Other Hand...

Most of us are avid cherry-pickers: We pay special attention to information that validates our beliefs and discount or ignore what doesn't. This confirmation bias influences elections, trials, gambling, medicine, and our worldview. Here's how to snap yourself—and others—out of it.

Step 1: Break the Flow

Making an argument harder to process creates a mental speed bump, prompting us to think more carefully, finds research from the University of Illinois. Subjects who evaluated an article in favor of capital punishment responded with less liberal or conservative bias when it was printed in an unusual light-gray italicized font than did those who read the same argument printed in Times New Roman. In a follow-up study, jurors in a mock trial were more even-handed when texts describing the alleged crime had been visually degraded.

Step 2: Catch 'Em With Honey

Providing a friendly window into your argument can make those with opposing viewpoints more receptive. In a German study, participants read on-screen arguments—including one highlighted as "recommended"—that challenged their views. People think of recommendations as attuned to their existing preferences, so the gentle nudge worked: It made subjects eager to learn more about the opposing idea.

Step 3: Ask open-ended Questions

Investigators and doctors can put lives at risk when they inquire too narrowly. An Australian study suggests sticking to open-ended questions: "Do you know anything about what happened to my cookies?" rather than "Did you see Grandpa swipe my cookie jar?" Police officers who followed this practice were less biased by preinterview briefings and less likely to steer testimony toward their preconceptions.