Which cognitive bias refers to the tendency to remember information that supports one's existing beliefs?

The cognitive bias that refers to the tendency to remember information that supports one's existing beliefs is known as confirmation bias. This bias leads individuals to favor information that confirms their preconceptions, while disregarding or minimizing information that contradicts those beliefs.

Confirmation bias can manifest in various ways, such as selectively gathering evidence, interpreting ambiguous information in a way that aligns with existing beliefs, or recalling information that supports one's views more vividly than information that does not. This can lead to a reinforcing cycle where beliefs become more entrenched over time as individuals focus on supportive evidence and ignore opposing viewpoints.

In contrast, the other biases mentioned have different implications: anchoring bias relates to the reliance on the first piece of information encountered (the "anchor") when making decisions; the availability heuristic involves estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory, often influenced by recent exposure; and self-serving bias reflects the tendency to attribute successes to internal factors while blaming failures on external factors. Each of these biases operates in distinct ways that do not specifically involve the reinforcement of existing beliefs as confirmation bias does.