There is a great article here (HT my good friend @accuser)

The researchers found that people are about twice as likely to select information that supports their own point of view (67 percent) as to consider an opposing idea (33 percent). Certain individuals, those with close-minded personalities, are even more reluctant to expose themselves to differing perspectives, Albarracín said. They will opt for the information that corresponds to their views nearly 75 percent of the time.

The researchers also found, not surprisingly, that people are more resistant to new points of view when their own ideas are associated with political, religious or ethical values.

That we mostly filter out information we don’t want to hear or see, there are times when we do does not seem new, but the full article makes for more informative reading, so if you have a spare 60 minutes of so do download it!