Psychology of self-insight - Motivated reasoning and self-deception 12+

📓 Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology, grade: 1,0, University of Cologne, course: Wirtschafts- und Sozialpsychologie, language: English, abstract: Those who are interested in soccer certainly know it: the Wembley goal from 1966 and the debate about whether it was a goal or it was not. While the English fans (for whom the goal would have gained the lead) certainly perceived it as a goal, the Germans believed the ball had not crossed their goal line. And both groups were sure they are right - a perfect example for motivated reasoning!The term motivated-reasoning refers to a kind of self-regulation that enables people to believe in favorable things, although there is some severe evidence to disprove those beliefs. Motivated-reasoning is closely linked to terms like "wishful thinking" and "denial" and might lead to "unrealistic optimism" or "self-deception". It especially occurs in situations that threaten one´s self-concept or previously held expectation of one´s future.Imagine for example, somebody is fired from a job, although that person believes him or herself to be an intelligent and capable employee. Or a man who believes he is happily married, but then his wife comes home smelling of someone else's after-shave. Both persons are potential victims for motivated-reasoning because motivated-reasoning enables them to keep their positive beliefs. The fired person - imagine she is a woman - might, for e...