What psychological theory suggests that people prefer information that aligns with their beliefs?

The psychological theory that suggests people prefer information that aligns with their beliefs is confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one’s preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving disproportionately less consideration to alternative possibilities. Essentially, individuals are inclined to seek out information that supports their existing views, while ignoring or minimizing information that contradicts those views.

Selective exposure, while closely related, refers specifically to the behavior of selecting media or information sources that uphold one's beliefs, and it does not fully encompass the broader cognitive tendency captured in confirmation bias. Groupthink pertains to the phenomenon where members of a cohesive group prioritize consensus over critical thinking, leading to poor decision-making. Cognitive dissonance involves the mental discomfort that arises from holding contradictory beliefs, which may lead individuals to resolve their discomfort by favoring beliefs that alleviate that tension, but it is not specifically about information preference alone.

Therefore, confirmation bias is the most accurate representation of the psychological tendency to prefer information that aligns with one’s existing beliefs.