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Task Interruption and Resumption Paradigm for Testing the Activation and Pursuit of an Abstract Thinking Goal
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Motivated explanation.

Richard Patterson1, Joachim T Operskalski2, Aron K Barbey2

  • 1Department of Philosophy, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|November 4, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Motivation significantly impacts how we explain events, sometimes leading to biased reasoning. Understanding both epistemic (accuracy-focused) and directional (goal-oriented) motivations is key to explaining human thought processes.

Keywords:
abductive reasoningcausal inferenceexplanationinference to the best explanationmotivation

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Social Psychology

Background:

  • Motivation is a recognized field, particularly in "motivated thinking."
  • Its specific influence on explanatory processes remains underexplored.
  • Explanations can be driven by a desire for accuracy or by non-epistemic goals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the influence of motivation on explanatory processes.
  • To differentiate between epistemic and directional motivations in explanation.
  • To propose a framework for understanding how multiple motivations shape explanations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing psychological and neuroscientific evidence.
  • Analysis of "motivated thinking" and attribution theory.
  • Conceptual framework development integrating epistemic and directional goals.

Main Results:

  • Directional motivations (e.g., self-justification) can bias explanations by relaxing epistemic norms.
  • Some directional motivations can enhance epistemic motivation, leading to more thorough processes.
  • Explanations often result from balancing conflicting or reinforcing epistemic and directional goals.

Conclusions:

  • Motivation plays a central role in human thought and explanation.
  • Real-life explanations are shaped by a complex interplay of multiple, often competing, goals.
  • Further research in psychology and neuroscience can elucidate this motivational framework.