Interesting Conclusions On Bias

We all strive for objectivity in our reasoning, and largely fail. The Washington Post has an interesting article that details how much bias shapes our perception. A study was conducted, wherein pro-Arab and pro-Israeli subjects watched the same news pieces, revolving around the 1982 war in Lebanon. The findings:

Partisans, it turns out, don't just arrive at different conclusions; they see entirely different worlds . In one especially telling experiment, researchers showed 144 observers six television news segments about Israel's 1982 war with Lebanon.

Pro-Arab viewers heard 42 references that painted Israel in a positive light and 26 references that painted Israel unfavorably.

Pro-Israeli viewers, who watched the very same clips, spotted 16 references that painted Israel positively and 57 references that painted Israel negatively.

The more information, the worse the bias:

Were pro-Israeli and pro-Arab viewers who were especially knowledgeable about the conflict immune from such distortions? Amazingly, it turned out to be exactly the opposite, Stanford psychologist Lee D. Ross said. The best-informed partisans were the most likely to see bias against their side.

Ross thinks this is because partisans often feel the news lacks context. Instead of just showing a missile killing civilians, in other words, partisans on both sides want the news to explain the history of events that prompted -- and could have justified -- the missile. The more knowledgeable people are, the more context they find missing.

Let's put it too the test, what do you see below:


Myself, I see shocking evidence of the "precision" bombing campaign gone astray. I suppose a Conservative would say that Hezbollah is using ambulances to transport rockets to the border. I guess we will never know?