Motivated reasoning
From Conservapedia
Motivated reasoning is a cognitive bias where an individual processes information to support their wishful thinking or pre-existing beliefs, rather than seeking objective truth, often to avoid mental discomfort (cognitive dissonance) or protect identity. It involves selectively interpreting evidence, favoring confirming information (confirmation bias), and scrutinizing contradictory facts more harshly, influencing everything from personal choices (like smoking) to political views and susceptibility to misinformation.
