'as if' stance

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have difficulty in understanding the sentences in bold. Could anyone do me a favor?

Although most of Bird's respondents consider the news stories to be well researched and verified, none of them accept everything presented on the pages of their tabloids as being true. That said, some find pleasure in assuming an 'as if' stance, playing along with the item's truth claims to see how far their own willingness to believe can be stretched.

Thanks a lot.

[RonBee]

That means that those readers pretend to believe something even tho they really don't believe it. They are playing a kind of game.

[Tdol]

It does suggest, to me, that they are really trying to believe, though.