^•

we are apt to ‘see’ patterns where there is only ‘noise’;

^•

we are prone to ‘see’ causal relationships even in circumstances when none is present;

^•

we show a proclivity to overvalue information which is supportive of a preferred point-of-view, idea, or belief;

^•

we tend to search for, recognize, and to focus upon information which confirms our favoured opinions, courses-of-action, and hypotheses;

and

^•

our assessment of the quality of new evidence is biased by our previous beliefs about the issue, conclusion, or problem under consideration.