Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality
Abstract Human information processing is not always rational but influenced by prior attitudes, a phenomenon commonly known as motivated reasoning. We conducted two studies (N 1 = 556, N 2 = 1198; UK samples) investigating motivated reasoning in the context of climate change with a focus on indivi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55930-9 |
| _version_ | 1797266862799585280 |
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| author | Fabian Hutmacher Regina Reichardt Markus Appel |
| author_facet | Fabian Hutmacher Regina Reichardt Markus Appel |
| author_sort | Fabian Hutmacher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Human information processing is not always rational but influenced by prior attitudes, a phenomenon commonly known as motivated reasoning. We conducted two studies (N 1 = 556, N 2 = 1198; UK samples) investigating motivated reasoning in the context of climate change with a focus on individual differences as potential moderating factors. While previous research investigated motivated reasoning regarding the debate whether climate change is anthropogenic, we focused on current discourses about the effectiveness of different countermeasures. To this end, participants evaluated fictitious scientific data on the effectiveness of regulations to reduce CO2 emissions. In both studies, participants exhibited motivated reasoning as indicated by the observation that prior attitudes about CO2 reduction policies predicted evaluation of the scientific data. The degree of motivated reasoning was not related to individual difference variables, namely the ability to understand and reason with numbers (Numeracy), the willingness to show this ability (Need for Cognition), and the tendency to maximize one’s individual utility (Dark Factor of Personality). However, numeracy was associated with a less biased interpretation of the presented information. Our research demonstrates that motivated reasoning is a general phenomenon, and points to numerical training as one way to improve reasoning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:07:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b62f1de4da4f45d3b4b0505e073ec384 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:07:26Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-b62f1de4da4f45d3b4b0505e073ec3842024-03-10T12:11:46ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-0114111610.1038/s41598-024-55930-9Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of PersonalityFabian Hutmacher0Regina Reichardt1Markus Appel2Human-Computer-Media Institute, Julius-Maximilians-University WürzburgDepartment of Psychology, University of RegensburgHuman-Computer-Media Institute, Julius-Maximilians-University WürzburgAbstract Human information processing is not always rational but influenced by prior attitudes, a phenomenon commonly known as motivated reasoning. We conducted two studies (N 1 = 556, N 2 = 1198; UK samples) investigating motivated reasoning in the context of climate change with a focus on individual differences as potential moderating factors. While previous research investigated motivated reasoning regarding the debate whether climate change is anthropogenic, we focused on current discourses about the effectiveness of different countermeasures. To this end, participants evaluated fictitious scientific data on the effectiveness of regulations to reduce CO2 emissions. In both studies, participants exhibited motivated reasoning as indicated by the observation that prior attitudes about CO2 reduction policies predicted evaluation of the scientific data. The degree of motivated reasoning was not related to individual difference variables, namely the ability to understand and reason with numbers (Numeracy), the willingness to show this ability (Need for Cognition), and the tendency to maximize one’s individual utility (Dark Factor of Personality). However, numeracy was associated with a less biased interpretation of the presented information. Our research demonstrates that motivated reasoning is a general phenomenon, and points to numerical training as one way to improve reasoning.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55930-9 |
| spellingShingle | Fabian Hutmacher Regina Reichardt Markus Appel Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality Scientific Reports |
| title | Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality |
| title_full | Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality |
| title_fullStr | Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality |
| title_full_unstemmed | Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality |
| title_short | Motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of Numeracy, Need for Cognition, and the Dark Factor of Personality |
| title_sort | motivated reasoning about climate change and the influence of numeracy need for cognition and the dark factor of personality |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55930-9 |
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