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Morality justifies motivated reasoning
Abstract
A great deal of work argues that people demand impartial,evidence-based reasoning from others. However, recentfindings show that moral values occupy a cardinal position inpeople’s evaluation of others, raising the possibility that peoplesometimes prescribe morally-good but evidentially-poorbeliefs. We report two studies investigating how peopleevaluate beliefs when these two ideals conflict and find thatpeople regularly endorse motivated reasoning when it can bemorally justified. Furthermore, we document two ways thatmoral considerations result in prescribed motivated reasoning.First, morality can provide an alternative justification forbelief, leading people to prescribe evidentially unsupportedbeliefs to others. And, second, morality can affect how peopleevaluate the way evidence is weighed by lowering or raisingthe threshold of required evidence for morally good and badbeliefs, respectively. These results illuminate longstandingquestions about the nature of motivated reasoning and thesocial regulation of belief.
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