Confirmation bias, information selection, and belief reinforcement about the safety/risk of nuclear spent fuel storage facilities

Abstract

This study investigates the phenomenon of confirmation bias in information selection in the context of nuclear spent fuel (NSF) storage facilities. An online survey was administered to a sample of 321 residents in South Korea. They were asked to assess their beliefs about the safety/risk of NSF storage facilities before and after their exposure to additional information. Our findings show a positive association between the initial belief and confirmation bias, suggesting that the research participants tend to select articles consistent with their beliefs about the safety/risk of the facility. Trust in government is negatively related to confirmation bias, implying that residents with a greater level of trust in government are more likely to choose information opposing their initial beliefs. Finally, this study finds the self-reinforcing and potentially polarizing nature of individuals' beliefs about the safety/risk of NSF storage facilities as residents’ initial beliefs are reinforced rather than challenged after they reviewed self-selected articles. Implications for public policy and communication strategies related to improving the acceptance of NSF storage facilities are discussed.