Blissful ignorance: A motivated cognition perspective on information avoidance

Extant models of willful ignorance-defined as the intentional choice not to seek or use information-typically invoke varying sets of underlying motives. In contrast, we treat willful ignorance as a case of epistemic behavior explained by a broader model of belief formation: Lay Epistemic Theory (Kruglanski, 2004). Drawing from that model, we argue that information avoidance stems from two overarching epistemic motivations: the need for specific certainty (a directional motive) and the need for non-specific certainty (a non-directional motive). Under particular conditions, these motivations may lead individuals to avoid or suppress information. This approach offers conceptual clarity by embedding information avoidance within belief formation processes and provides a unified framework that generates novel insights and testable hypotheses.