Final answer:
William James suggested that people prefer theories that align with their beliefs, which is an expression of motivated reasoning and confirmation bias. This is connected to the broader philosophical concept of empiricism, which holds that knowledge is grounded in experience and continually updated.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to William James, people prefer theories that fit their beliefs. This concept is related to what is known in psychology as motivated reasoning, which is the human tendency to embrace ideas that we want to believe while rejecting evidence that challenges those beliefs. Furthermore, this idea aligns with the description of the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports prior beliefs, otherwise known as confirmation bias.
Philosophers and psychologists have long recognized that our general beliefs about the world help to shape our understanding of specific experiences and future expectations. For instance, the concept of empiricism, championed by figures such as John Locke, posits that knowledge is grounded in experience and that what we call knowledge of the world is subject to continuous revision and falsification based on new experiences.