Lord, Ross and Lepper (1979) report the following:
48 undergraduates supporting and opposing capital punishment were exposed to 2 purported studies, one seemingly confirming and one seemingly disconfirming their existing beliefs about the deterrent efficacy of the death penalty. As predicted, both proponents and opponents of capital punishment rated those results and procedures that confirmed their own beliefs to be the more convincing and probative ones.
Behavioural scientists often explain findings such as these by appealing to the:

Question

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This phenomenon is explained by the confirmation bias, which is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. The study illustrates how individuals prefer information that supports their existing views.

Lord, Ross and Lepper (1979) Report the Following