Understanding Confirmation Bias in Families That Scapegoat

How selective perception supports distorted realities and family scapegoating abuse (FSA)

Introduction: In dysfunctional or narcissistic families where Family Scapegoating Abuse (FSA) occurs, confirmation bias and distorted perceptions play significant roles in perpetuating harmful systemic dynamics.

Such families will often assign blame unfairly to a particular member (known as the ‘scapegoat’), leading to a distorted collective perception that reinforces negative behaviors and attitudes demonstrated toward the child victim or adult survivor of FSA.

This article explores how confirmation bias supports distorted reality views and false narratives as related to scapegoating dynamics in families; also, how confirmation bias impacts the ‘scapegoat child’ or adult survivor of FSA.