Legal Definitions - biased assimilation

Biased assimilation is when someone interprets information in a way that supports what they already believe. This means they give more importance to evidence that agrees with them and ignore evidence that disagrees with them. It's like only listening to people who agree with you and ignoring those who don't.

Let's say someone believes that people are born with certain personality traits and that their upbringing doesn't matter. If they read a study that says children who receive more hugs from their parents do better in school, they might accept it as true without checking if the study is reliable or if there are other studies that say something different. They might also ignore a study that says family life does affect personality development.

In a court case, a jury member who has biases based on race might be more likely to believe evidence that supports their biases and ignore evidence that doesn't. For example, if they believe that people of a certain race are more likely to commit crimes, they might be more likely to find someone guilty even if the evidence is weak.

These examples show how biased assimilation can affect how people interpret information and make decisions. It's important to be aware of our biases and try to consider all the evidence before making a decision.