Motivated Reasoning and Its Applications to Life

Abstract

People form conclusions based on the information they consume. Sometimes, however, these conclusions are formed on the basis of motivated reasoning, a type of directional reasoning that occurs when people want to gather evidence to support a desired conclusion. This behavior often leads to the formation and reinforcement of one’s beliefs through the construction of a biased or false narrative that stems primarily from a person’s desire to affirm themselves. Cognisant effort in obtaining evidence and considering facts in an unbiased, unmotivated manner is often necessary to prevent unconscious use of motivated reasoning. With origins in psychology and economics, the theory of motivated reasoning has branched out to encompass other fields, such as political science and communication. This paper will provide several examples of motivated reasoning across multiple disciplines, including politics, health, and business, and examine the ways that directionally motivated reasoning can impede on people’s ability to form unbiased opinions as well as address some potential consequences of pervasive motivated reasoning.