Work

Motivated political reasoning: On the emergence of belief-value constellations

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We study the relationship between moral values (“ought” statements) and factual beliefs (“is” statements). We show that thinking about values affects the beliefs people hold. This effect is mediated by prior political leanings, thereby contributing to the polarization of factual beliefs. We document these findings in a pre-registered online experiment with a nationally representative sample of over 1,800 individuals in the US. We also show that participants do not distort their beliefs in response to financial incentives to do so, suggesting that deep values exert a stronger motivational force than financial incentives.

Source: European Economic Review

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2024.104929

Authors: Kai Barron, Anna Becker, Steffen Huck

Institutions: WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Stockholm University, University College London

Language: English

Topic: Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Subfield: General Decision Sciences

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,170

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung