Question

____ are predictable patterns in the way people think that can keep you from objectively weighing evidence and changing your mind.

• unconscious awareness
• political socialization
• confirmation bias
• cognitive bias

Explanation:

• Unconscious awareness refers to processing information without conscious recognition, not a thinking pattern that impairs objective evidence evaluation.
• Political socialization is the process of learning political beliefs, not a cognitive pattern affecting evidence weighing.
• Confirmation bias is a specific type of cognitive bias where people seek or favor information that confirms existing beliefs, but the definition in the question describes the broader category of such thinking patterns.
• Cognitive bias is the general term for predictable, systematic errors in thinking that prevent objective evaluation of evidence and open-mindedness, matching the question's description.

Answer:

D. Cognitive bias