Breaking reality’s constraints on motivated cognition

Abstract

Wishful thinking is constrained by reality; people cannot believe the utterly implausible simply because they want to. Here, we uncover an exception to this basic principle of motivated cognition. We show that one goal in particular---the goal to advocate---systematically biases judgments in spite of strong countervailing evidence. This is more than a harmless delusion. Advocacy goals lead to greater endorsement of far-fetched `crackpot' theories (Study 5), and impede performance in negotiations (Study 6). These effects do not emerge from other kinds of goals: when people desire an outcome, but do not have a goal to advocate for it, reality constrains bias. Not only does this require a revision to the theoretical record, it serves as a cautionary warning to managers and other decision-makers, who are susceptible to the biasing forces of advocacy.

Bad beliefs: automaticity, arationality, and intervention

“…Though subtle, these shifts in belief persist in the face of accuracy incentives and prompts to be wary of biasing oneself. Strohminger & Melnikoff (2022) further showed that advocacy goals shifted beliefs about the truth of far-fetched "crackpot" theories and claims that were inconsistent with strong counter-evidence provided to participants.…”