This actually relates to vertical learning. I believe we perform a cost-benefit analysis when we choose between assimilation (making the data fit into our mental model) or accommodation (revising the model to fit the data). Revising a mental model is costly: we have to exert resources to resolve any cognitive dissonance and, during the revision process, we experience a level of uncertainty that some find debilitating (self-doubt, anxiety, etc). I believe many people end up choosing to assimilate even when, to outside observers, it seems more ‘rational’ to accommodate because, for those people, the costs appear to outweigh the benefits. They are making the rational choice by not revising their mental model even though it doesn’t fit the data.