Researchers have found that before buying a new car, consumers tend to look at ads for all makes and models of cars. However, once having purchased a car, consumers tend to read only ads for the kind of car they purchased. This tendency best illustrates the phenomenon known as

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The phenomenon described in the question is selective exposure, as it refers to the tendency of individuals to seek out information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs or attitudes. Once consumers have made a purchase, they are likely to seek out information that supports their decision and ignore information that contradicts it. Selective attention refers to the ability to focus on certain stimuli while ignoring others, selective perception refers to interpreting information in a way that confirms existing attitudes or beliefs, and selective retention refers to the tendency to remember information that reinforces existing attitudes or beliefs while forgetting information that does not.

Researchers Have Found That Before Buying a New Car, Consumers