John has always loved Citroen cars and so he is delighted when he hears that a Citroen has won Top Gear's award for car of the year. It takes his friends a long time to convince him that it was actually just 'new hatchback of the year' and the overall winner was a Jaguar. John has unintentionally changed the information he heard to match his own beliefs and attitudes. What is the term for that?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Selective distortion occurs when individuals interpret information in a way that conforms to their pre-existing beliefs and attitudes, as John did by mistakenly believing a Citroen won the overall award instead of just a category.

John Has Always Loved Citroen Cars and So He Is