Favoured by the selectors (6)
I believe the answer is:
chosen
'favoured' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to thinking as well as being past participle verbs.
Perhaps you can see an association between them that I can't see?
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for chosen that I've seen before include "'''Many are called, but few are ...'' (Bible) (6)'" , "Selected, preferred" , "Selected, picked" , "part of Asia once" , "Selected - Japanese name for Korea" .)