Final answer:
Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs, often leading to selective exposure to information and strengthened beliefs without challenge.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tendency that people have to interpret new information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs is known as confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that involves focusing on information that confirms one's preconceptions or hypotheses while ignoring or dismissing information that contradicts them. This can manifest in various ways, such as only reading news articles that align with one's political views or remembering details in a way that upholds one's existing opinions.
Motivated reasoning is a related concept where individuals selectively search for and interpret evidence in ways that are partial to existing beliefs, expectations, or a hypothesis in hand. An example of confirmation bias can be seen when individuals scan news headlines and opt to read only those stories that reaffirm their pre-existing views. This selective exposure to information helps maintain and strengthen one's current beliefs without challenge.