“Former United States Vice President Dick Cheney, for example, reportedly requires the television set be tuned into a conservative news channel before he enters a hotel room […]
Individuals strongly committed to certain religions often avoid contact with information or people that can tempt them away from their doctrine. […]
Receiving information that supports one’s position on an issue allows people to conclude that their views are correct but may often obscure reality. In contrast, receiving information that contradicts one’s view on an issue can cause people to feel misled or ignorant but may allow access to a valid representation of reality. […]”
—
‘Feeling validated versus being correct’ (2009) by Hart et al.
People are motivated to defend their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors from challenges and therefore to selectively search for congenial information that confirm pre-existing views, and to avoid uncongenial information.
