Middle Ground: My-Side Bias
How do you form opinions?
Try this
- Pick an issue below.
- Read arguments for or against the issue by clicking the “yes” side or the “no” side.
How you look determines what you find.
When people look for information on a topic, they tend to search out sources that confirm what they already believe. So they miss out on evidence that might help them understand an issue better.
Internet search tools such as Google don’t help. They’re often designed to send you to sites most like ones you’ve already visited.
One idea to reduce “my-side bias”: try a librarian. They’re trained to research all sides and aspects of a topic.
YES
TOPIC
Should the United States have universal health care?
YES 1
Universal health care could lower the cost of health care in the United States.
YES 2
Universal health care could save lives.
YES 3
Providing all citizens with health care is good for economic productivity.
YES 4
Ensuring everyone has access to health care is a necessary foundation of a fair society.
THINK ABOUT
Which side did you click first—the one you agree with or the other one?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a more complete picture, read both sides.
NO
TOPIC
Should the United States have universal health care?
NO 1
Universal health care could increase the U.S. debt and deficit.
NO 2
Universal health care could make it harder to get an appointment with your doctor.
NO 3
A right to health care could cause people to overuse health care resources.
NO 4
People should pay for their own health care, not have it given to them by the government.
THINK ABOUT
Did you look on this side to confirm what you believe, or did you have another reason?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a more complete picture, be sure to read both sides.
YES
TOPIC
Should you eat more blueberries for your health?
YES 1
Blueberries have more antioxidants than any other fruit.
YES 2
Blueberries are nutrient-rich for their calories, packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
YES 3
Whole, unprocessed fruits and vegetables of all types are the basis of a healthy diet.
THINK ABOUT
Is it easier to consider both sides if you don't care strongly about a topic?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a complete picture, read both sides.
NO
TOPIC
Should you eat more blueberries for your health?
NO 1
Pesticides are often used to grow blueberries. Organic berries are more expensive.
NO 2
Blueberries are high in vitamin K, which affects clotting, so people on blood thinners should be careful.
NO 3
Are blueberries a “superfood”? They are healthy—but other, less-studied foods surely are, too. It’s best to eat a variety.
THINK ABOUT
Is it easier to consider both sides if you don't care strongly about a topic?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they present the other side? For a more complete picture, be sure to read both sides.
YES
TOPIC
Should parents get vouchers to pay for private schools?
YES 1
Vouchers can let parents choose their child’s education.
YES 2
Vouchers improve education by making public schools compete with private schools for students in a free market.
YES 3
School vouchers allow school districts to reduce racial and other segregations.
YES 4
School vouchers offer students in poor schools access to a better education.
THINK ABOUT
Does it make you feel uncomfortable to read the arguments you disagree with?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a more complete picture, read both sides.
NO
TOPIC
Should parents get vouchers to pay for private schools?
NO 1
Tax dollars are supposed to be spent on the education of all children, not the private religious education of a few.
NO 2
Vouchers funnel tax dollars away from public schools and toward private schools and middle-class children.
NO 3
School vouchers can fail to support disabled and special-needs students, because private schools are not bound by the same protective laws.
NO 4
School vouchers do not improve students’ academic performance.
THINK ABOUT
Which arguments make you feel like arguing against them?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a more complete picture, be sure to read both sides.
YES
TOPIC
Should people reduce their social media use?
YES 1
Social media lacks privacy protections, so users risk intrusion by corporations, government, and others.
YES 2
Social media can make it easier to spread unreliable and false information.
YES 3
Social media can enable cyberbullying.
YES 4
Social media can cause people to spend less time face-to-face.
THINK ABOUT
How does it feel to have your beliefs confirmed? To have them challenged?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a more complete picture, read both sides.
NO
TOPIC
Should people reduce their social media use?
NO 1
Social media can help people improve their relationships and make new friends.
NO 2
Social media sites can help students do better at school.
NO 3
Social media sites empower individuals to make social change and do good on a community level.
NO 4
Social media allows for rapid communication during crises.
THINK ABOUT
On a topic you care strongly about, which arguments did you go to first—the ones you agreed with, or the others?
READ THIS
Do these statements support your basic beliefs, or do they challenge them? For a more complete picture, be sure to read both sides.
Universal Healthcare References
Stuart H. Altman and David Shactman (2011). Power, Politics, and Universal Health Care. (book)
Purva H. Rawal (2016). The Affordable Care Act: Examining the Facts. (book)
Daniel E. Dawes (2016). 150 years of Obamacare. (book)
Daniel Beland, Philip Rocco, and Alex Waddan (2016). Obamacare Wars: Federalism, State Politics, and the Affordable Care Act. (book)
Blueberry References
Becky Dickinson (2018). How to Grow & Eat Your Own Super Foods. (book)
Sue Quinn (2015). Super Foods Every Day: Recipes Using Kale, Blueberries, Chia Seeds, Cacao, and Other Ingredients That Promote Whole-Body Health. (book)
Jena Pincott (2018). Wits Guts Grit: All-Natural Biohacks for Raising Smart, Resilient Kids. (book)
Jennifer Trehane (2004). Blueberries, Cranberries, and Other Vacciniums. (book)
School Voucher References
Aaron Tang (2019). "School Vouchers, Special Education, and the Supreme Court." University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 337. (abstract)
Dennis Epple, Richard E. Romano, and Miguel Urquiola (2015). "School Vouchers: A Survey of the Economics Literature." The National Bureau of Economic Research. (paper)
M. Danish Shakeel, Kaitlin Anderson, and Patrick Wolf (2016). "The Participant Effects of Private School Vouchers Across the Globe: A Meta-Analytic and Systematic Review." University of Arizona Department of Education Reform. (paper)
Matthew J. Burbank and Daviel Levin (2015). "Community Attachment and Voting for School Vouchers." Social Science Quarterly, 96(5). (abstract)
Social Media References
Greta Van Susteren (2017). Everything You Need to Know About Social Media (Without Calling a Kid). (book)
P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking (2018). LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media. (book)
Cass R. Sunstein (2017). #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media. (book)
Tarleton Gillespie (2018). Custodians of the Interne: Platforms, Content Moderation, and the Hidden Decisions That Shape Social Media. (book)
Additional Resources
Yes-No arguments adapted from www.procon.org
Raymond S. Nickerson (1998). "Confirmation Bias: A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises." Review of General Psychology. (abstract)
Bill Andrews (2018). "How Your Brian Lies with Confirmation Bias." Discover. (article)
Jeremy A. Frimer, Linda J. Skitka, and Matt Motyl (2017). "Liberals and Conservatives Are Similarly Motivated to Avoid Exposure to One Another's Opinions." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 72: 1–12. (abstract)
