New research challenges a major theory about political bias - PsyPost
psypost.org
A cornerstone theory of political psychology — that voters reject inconvenient facts to dodge emotional pain — just got put to the test, and the results may force a rethink of why bias really happens.
Motivated ReasoningCognitive DissonanceConfirmation BiasIdentity-Protective Cognition
Theory Briefing
- A popular theory holds that voters dismiss opposing facts to avoid the psychological discomfort of being wrong.
- New research directly tested this motivated-reasoning framework and found the emotional pain explanation may not hold up.
- If discomfort isn't driving political bias, scientists may need entirely new models to explain why facts fail to change minds.