Motivated reasoning is making you stubborn, not smart

Many Americans encounter news stories that seem to clash with their beliefs, and their instinct is often to reject, ignore, or counterargue those messages. This reaction is part of a psychological process known as motivated reasoning, in which individuals interpret information in a way that confirms their preexisting attitudes, rather than assessing it objectively.

Motivated reasoning is not a failure of intelligence, but a function of how the brain processes emotion. When people see or hear information that threatens their beliefs or social identity, they often engage in more mental effort—not to reconsider their stance, but to defend it. This leads to greater polarization and resistance to changing views, even when presented with credible evidence.

Recent research suggests that emotional arousal plays a critical role in this process. A 2019 experiment in Austria exposed 191 participants to television news segments about immigration, varying the level of perceived threat. The study measured both the emotional valence (how positive or negative the feelings were) and the level of physiological arousal participants experienced. The findings showed that motivated reasoning was much stronger when individuals experienced both negative emotions and high arousal, such as anxiety, fear, or anger.

The research challenges the idea that negative emotion alone drives resistance to new information. Instead, it shows that the intensity of emotion — or arousal — is what fuels the most extreme reactions. Citizens are more likely to reject information, adopt identity-defensive attitudes, and resist behavioral change when they are emotionally charged.

This has implications for modern journalism. Over time, the tone of news coverage has become more negative and sensationalist. Studies show that consumers are drawn to arousing news content and tend to disengage when arousal decreases. This may help explain why negative and emotionally provocative stories dominate headlines and broadcasts.

Because political information is primarily consumed through the news, motivated reasoning has become a major factor in public opinion formation. It influences not just political views, but also perceptions of public opinion, application of stereotypes, and even legal judgments. As partisan identities have grown stronger, news that contradicts those identities is more likely to be perceived as threatening, activating defensive cognitive responses.

Affect, the physiological precursor to emotion, often precedes conscious awareness. This makes the emotional response automatic and difficult to control. Motivated reasoning begins with this automatic reaction, and the reasoning that follows is often a rationalization rather than an objective assessment.

The combination of negative affect and high arousal creates a powerful feedback loop: the more intensely people feel, the more strongly they defend their beliefs. This mechanism is especially active in identity-relevant issues, such as race, religion, politics, and cultural identity. As a result, political communication can become less about facts and more about group loyalty.

Understanding the emotional and psychological drivers behind motivated reasoning is essential for combating misinformation and fostering civil discourse. Encouraging citizens to pause, reflect, and evaluate whether their reaction is based on discomfort or factual inaccuracy is a critical step in maintaining democratic decision-making.