This confirmation bias problem is typically asked as a psychology question, but this piece of research is about findings from MRIs. I've excerpted the key finding.
Why is it so difficult to make people change their minds?
'Brains fail to encode' opposing views
When they studied participants' brain activity, as revealed by the functional MRI scans, the researchers zeroed in on the brain area that appeared to be involved in evaluating and absorbing someone else's ideas: the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.
The team saw that brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex fluctuated, depending on the strength of a partner's conviction, as suggested by the value of the investment they were willing to make.
However, this was only the case when paired participants agreed about the value of the house. When they were in disagreement, there was no change in brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.
Why is it so difficult to make people change their minds?
'Brains fail to encode' opposing views
When they studied participants' brain activity, as revealed by the functional MRI scans, the researchers zeroed in on the brain area that appeared to be involved in evaluating and absorbing someone else's ideas: the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.
The team saw that brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex fluctuated, depending on the strength of a partner's conviction, as suggested by the value of the investment they were willing to make.
However, this was only the case when paired participants agreed about the value of the house. When they were in disagreement, there was no change in brain activity in the posterior medial prefrontal cortex.