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Confirmation Bias, Motivated Cognition, the Backfire Effect

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Cognitive Errors and Diagnostic Mistakes

Abstract

Patricia was a 49-year-old woman who presented with confusion while drinking at a bar. Her friend said that she was behaving normally, but was found on the bathroom floor “not making sense.” On examination, she was lethargic and confused. She gave short answers to questions and did not know the location or date. She was able to name some common objects, but could not sustain attention to participate in a meaningful conversation. She fell asleep when she was not examined and could only be briefly aroused with noxious stimuli. A head CT was normal as was basic blood chemistry.

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  1. Neurology and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Jonathan Howard MD

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Howard, J. (2019). Confirmation Bias, Motivated Cognition, the Backfire Effect. In: Cognitive Errors and Diagnostic Mistakes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93224-8_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93224-8_4

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