by Greg Robie
The cognitive dynamic of motivated reasoning is the means by which an irrational process masquerades as a rational one and we are fooled, willingly. It tends to be engaged in when the subject matter heightens feelings, such as a perceived threat to a child. Even if the real risk is insignificant, heightened vigilance is disproportionately affected until long after the exact nature of the threat has been resolved. It doesn’t matter that the threat is insignificant. If the threat feels significant, it is. Any irrationality of this feeling is, because it’s my child, simply irrelevant. The feeling is trusted. For a while, perception becomes undeniable reality. A few kids live longer lives because of this dynamic, but more than a few kids are psychologically traumatized by phobias due to it as well.
Another iteration of motivated reasoning also relates to trusted feelings. A cultural norm may be obsolete, but moving away from it is resisted. The comforting social dynamics associated with it are valued and known. The shift in feelings involved in eliminating such a norm is both hard work and socially disruptive. It is easier to keep doing things a traditional way — if it’s no big deal — than upsetting the apple cart and developing and implementing a different or new norm that evokes the same desired feelings.
Consider this nation’s melting-pot dynamics around social celebrations like Christmas. An immigrant’s attempts to assimilate into the dominant culture tend to transform familiar public cultural traditions into private ones. Dominant ones are adopted with the wish that one will fit in, while the ones that used to trustworthily affect that feeling are relegated to a relatively private practice.
Because the dominant culture associates Christmas with good will, and as an ancillary dynamic within those that fell prey to Jim Crow and Comstock laws, and a number of social taboos, Christmas has become an amalgam of holidays within the consumeristic paradigm of gift giving. But the current politically correct phrase “happy holidays” — a long time in the making — satisfies few.
Motivated reasoning is a field of study within neuroscience and social psychology that, while in its infancy, explores the role of the brain and neuropeptides in cognitive thought processes like the above examples, though they are too multifaceted to be studied at this point in the field’s development. What has been observed to date suggests that when there is a contradiction between observable fact and trusted feeling, and those feelings are elevated ones, our brains engage in a cognitive process whereby the trusted feelings are deferred to but the brain is ‘fooled’ to feel the rationalization is the consequence of a rational process (at least for men). Additional studies may show that for women this non-rational cognitive process is more nuanced and normative, but, at least as it relates to men, it is insightful relative to social dynamics and the twin social crises that environmental and economic collapse represent.
To the degree Guy’s assessments regarding reality in matters of climate change, the environment, and the dominant economic meme are rational — that an infinite growth paradigm on a finite planet, as a trusted economic paradigm, is environmental suicide — the existence of a non-rational cognitive process that can successfully masquerade as a rational one goes a long way toward explaining the failures he has experienced to nurture rational thought and behavior. And he is not alone.
Blogging is somewhat interactive but, as those who faithfully blog and comment can attest, it is depressing to accept that its current form as a social tool for change is “as-good-as-it-gets.” With the intent of pushing the envelope a bit, consider this post an invitation to a virtual self-organizing conference on motivated reasoning. With the title of this essay doubling as conference title, and using the guidelines of Open Space Technology for organizing and participating in the conference, please offer descriptions of workshops that you would like to facilitate at this ‘conference.’ Give your workshop a title and write a brief description of what it will cover. By default, the workshop will unfold as a thread in this space but, if you have your own blog and would prefer to host your workshop there, provide a link so participants can find their way to it.
To make the blog interface more user-friendly as a conference format, email the volunteer facilitator the workshop title and a link to its location once it is posted. A list of workshops titles with links will be added to this initial entry so that the obstacle of scrolling through comments to find workshops of interest will be eliminated. At the conclusion of your workshop, write a summary of what came out of it and post it in your workshop’s thread. Finally, email the facilitator a link for inclusion in this opening entry next to its title for sharing your workshop’s conclusion, and to signify its conclusion to others.
Since this is likely a new experience for all of us, let’s arbitrarily close workshop offerings at the end of the upcoming solstice, and wrap up the workshops and share summaries before the start of 2013. Since we’re human, miss-postings are inevitable. When this happens, alert this blog’s moderator and be patient as things get corrected and sorted out.
Also, invite others to join in this conference. It would appear that social networking dynamics strongly reinforce various iterations of motivated reasoning that define social memes. To the degree this is true, a better understanding of motivated reasoning’s reach and dynamics could lead to strategic insights regarding social change that are current hidden in plain – rational — sight. The potential presenters and participants in this conference among our various networks likely are myriad.
Motivated Reasoning: Savior or Sycophant?
An Open Space Technology self-organizing conference
19-31 December 2012
Workshops, facilitator(s), and closing reports (if any):
1. How motivated reasoning may be the bane of my existence, Guy McPherson, facilitator, guy.r.mcpherson@gmail.com
2. Homeostasis, and the role of motivated reasoning, Greg Robie, facilitator, robie@hvc.rr.com
3. The role of motivated reasoning in an apostate church relative to environmental, social, and economic justice, Greg Robie, facilitator, robie@hvc.rr.com
______________
In the collapsing paradigm it is a biography that markets oneself; establishes authenticity and authority; implies value. In the next one, which this concept and invitation is offered from, it is what one does that is authentic. And motivated reasoning withstanding, such is also true within the collapsing paradigm as well. Who Greg Robie is, in the context of this essay, is measured by what is learned and done together because of it. The rest is ego, a delusion, and of little consequence.
______________
Same-day update: Each of the three workshops has been given a separate post. Please comment accordingly.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Nice bio, Greg Roble.
I would like to participate. How does this work? Do people just start posting on a given topic? Does the facilitator kick things off? I guess I will be quiet and observe.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
“Homeostasis, and the role of motivated reasoning.” Greg Robie, facilitator:
Homeostasis is the psychological term for the inner sense of optimum equiminity an individual experiences and trusts; a dynamic integration of ones sense of health, feelings, and thoughts. Relative to stress mitigation, it is, functionally, ones refuge. This workshop will start with a brief expansion on this dynamic, and a brainstorming of linguistic synonyms for the dynamic. The workshop participants will then engage in a group sharing and processing of experiences and consequences concerning whether experiencing what is trusted as homeostasis has proven to be rational, irrational, or beyond reason. The concluding report will summarize what is discovered through this sharing and processing, and develop a list of insights to consider that might decrease the role motivated reasoning has over a desire to behave rationally.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
“The role of motivated reasoning in an apostate church relative to environmental, social, and economic justice.” Greg Robie, facilitator
This workshop will focus on the denomination church of the Christian religion. As institutions of waining social relevance in the privileged societies of globalized capitalism, this workshop will considering what roles motivated reasoning may have played in the decline and inter-denominational shifts of membership. Both those who are active in a religious community, and those intentionally disengaged from institutional religions are welcome. The summary report will be framed as a series of questions that grow from the discussion that may be helpful tools for understanding motivated reasoning’s role in the rise of apostasy in the Christian religion and how this has fed into environmental, social, and economic injustice.
December 19th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
I’m guessing the workshops are asynchronous? And that anyone can join any or all workshops? If there are several going on at once in this space, how will people know which comment belongs to which workshop?
December 19th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
“How motivated reasoning may be the bane of my existence.” Guy McPherson, facilitator
This workshop details the process by which motivated reasoning leads to errors in logic. For example, McPherson’s assumption that a finite planet cannot support infinite growth does not lead to collapse of the industrial economy. Confirmation bias associated with citing dozens of other individuals similarly does suggest economic decline leads to economic collapse. Additional examples will be described and evaluated within the context of motivated reasoning.
December 19th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Jennifer makes an–obviously–great point. Guy, can settings be made on your end that will enable replies to workshop offerings so these will create workshop specific threads? And, yes, Jennifer, the technology allows for asynchronous participation. Applying the one Open Space Technology law — see link above, or here (http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm): the “law of two feet” makes what one does one’s own responsibility (and fun).
December 19th, 2012 at 2:06 pm
I cannot make relevant changes. But I’ve numbered the workshops, and comments can refer to them by number (1, 2, 3).
December 19th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
@ hosts
From wikipedia on motivated reasoning:
When people form and cling to false beliefs despite overwhelming evidence, the phenomenon is labeled “motivated reasoning”. In other words, “rather than search rationally for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular belief, people actually seek out information that confirms what they already believe.”
In other words, as I Guy stated, “confirmation bias”.
In regards to the empirical evidence contributing to NTE. The above paragraph could be interpreted at least in two ways: Either you’re just looking to fine tune your perspective by making sure that you’re not falsely making claims in absence of any supportive evidence. Sort of a cognitive tune up.
Or
What you’re saying is that this is what you believe you have been doing up to this point, so therefore, most everything you infer to be true, may not be?
Sorry for the confusion, but I guess I’m not quite following how you are applying “motivated reasoning” to observable non-linear rates of climatic change.
December 19th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
One starting point might be:
The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions
by Jaak Panksepp & Lucy Biven
December 19th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Here is a discussion of the book, on the “Brain Science podcast”. The host, Ginger Campbell, MD is an Emergency Physician and a mechanical engineer.
The Origin of Emotions with Jaak Panksepp (BSP 91)
December 19th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
And another relevant Brain Science podcast:
David Eagleman on The Secret Lives of the Brain (BSP 75)
December 19th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Boston.com’s writeup on David Eagleman’s Incognito”.
December 19th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
Greg, I’m curious. Why are you proposing an Open Space Technology self-organizing conference as a way of discussing this rather than the usual way of commenting?
December 19th, 2012 at 3:26 pm
On NPR’s Fresh Air:
‘Incognito’: What’s Hiding In The Unconscious Mind
December 19th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Daniel, the workshop I’ve proposed will not deal with climate change. It will address only economic decline/collapse.
December 19th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Thanks Guy for the suggested work-around for creating workshop specific threads by preferencing workshop related comments with their number. Since this virtual conference is, itself, a learning experience, this is an option to use and evaluate the experience. Those interfacing with these comments through the use of a computer can use the “find” function to quickly read the revelant posts while participating in one. Another work-around is to ask readers using blog software that has the desired thread creating tools to volunteer to host a workshop. If this is something that anyone would like to offer, please post this offer as a comment, and thanks.
December 19th, 2012 at 3:46 pm
The intellect is in the driver’s seat, but it is the chauffeur.
December 19th, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Another relevant work:
Descartes’ Error
by Antonio Damasio
December 19th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
More relevant stuff from Dr. Damasio, again on the Brain Science podcast.
Review of “Self Comes to Mind” by Antonio Damasio (BSP 90)
December 19th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Hi Liag,
As I mentioned in the blog entry, my bias is that posting blog entries and comments cannot be “as-good-as-it-gets” for using this tool for effected social change. I did not state, but it is my observation (and experience) that the blogging dynamic, or using other social networking IT-based tools/software, can be an end in itself; can be a means of effecting homostasis.
That said, I’ll add a (1.) since such relates to one of the workshops I’ve volunteered to facilitate.
As does this, and, intend, as an answer to you:
A reason blogging and comments can effect homeostasis may be the consequence of the media not only being the message, as Marshall McLuhan observed, but that it has come to limit what is socially experienced as authoritative communication to be that which is broadcasted. To what degree do we engage with one another using these IT-based software tools to feel, motivated reasoning withstanding, that we’ve done what is authentic, and done so authoritatively?
Is authentic communication that which is shared between people or that which is directed at another? To the degree it is the former, isn’t the latter likely endemic of the “power-over” paradigm and counters the “power-with” dynamic that is inherent to sustainable living?
December 19th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
How about breaking this out into a separate post for each workshop: that way each will have its own comments section.
December 19th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
@ Greg
You stated:
“Blogging is somewhat interactive but, as those who faithfully blog and comment can attest, it is depressing to accept that its current form as a social tool for change is “as-good-as-it-gets.”
Yes, I can agree with you that prior to about seven months ago, NBL could have been considered a blog that was designed to be a “social tool for change”. Maybe it still is. But as far as I can discern, and maybe I’m wrong, but I for one, sure don’t blog on NBL because I believe others here, consider “we” are going to change anything…..especially, society.
NBL has for the last seven months probably been out on the furthest reaches of the radical fringe in regards to truly accepting both the reality and the consequences of non-linear rates of climatic change. We are dealing with an entirely different paradigm, an entirely different way of looking at what little time we have left in context to the ethics of extinction, not entertaining regressive notions of past agency.
The desire to still promote “social change”, is now in itself, IMO a classic example of the very “motivated reasoning”, you’re attempting to expose?
December 19th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
.
Making the Unconscious Conscious
The consciousness which is employed
By the unconscious, which you avoid:
Making former from latter
With analysis chatter
Is as old as old Sigmund Freud.
December 19th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Hi Robin,
That too could be a work-around. It seems like a good idea. There is until the solstice to see what the number of workshops and participants might turn out to be, and what Guy, therefore, as the blogs owner, might think is best. Having options is something my personality type finds comfort in, so I feel this experiment in hosting and self-organizing a virtual conference can move forward with all-of-the-above for now.
With the links you are finding and posting that relate to motivated reasoning, are you discovering anything that is inspiring you to facilitate a workshop on?
December 19th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
It would be worthwhile to be acquainted with theurgy, thaumaturgy and magic, with magic being defined as the art and science of causing changes in consciousness in accordance with will.
This and succeeding posts may be a worthwhile foray into that realm:
Clarke’s Fallacy
December 19th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
And addressing societal aspects:
(Theurgy and thaumaturgy bridge the divide between the individual and the society: Bernay’s book is a classic manual on mass thaumaturgy).
Propaganda?/a> – by Edward Bernays
December 19th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
Each of the three workshops has been given a separate post. Please comment accordingly.
December 19th, 2012 at 6:54 pm
Some more on how people’s thinking is manipulated:
(Jay Rosen is a professor of journalism)
How the News is Made Now by Jay Rosen
December 19th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
Hi Danial,
Isn’t it only within a very diverse and inclusive community that one can have a chance of not getting tripped up in the proverbial tangle of underwater that is motivated reasoning? So you raise a good question…and I’m delighted when I’m helped to see my bunched drawers (whether it is before or after I fall on my face). That said, my intent in what you’ve quoted was to speak to possible frustrations concerning limited interactions to an audience, I assumed, engaged in IT-based social networking tools due to a conscious desire to be about social change. Is it helpful to understand what I wrote differently if I tell you that my guesstimate is that the tipping point into catestrophic climate change, once psychology and sociology weigh in with what they have to add, will be determined to be, at the latest, in the early ’30s under FDR and the New Deal policies that started blowing an economic bubble based on consummer credit, and guarenteed by the indebted consummer? But there is still social change that is possible and is rational and can effect homeostasis (1.)…and it is hidden in plain–rational–sight (though this perception may be revealed to be delusional motivated reasoning in the context of the sharing and processing that is part of the workshop I’m facilitating).
I’m not sure what you’re communicating with the phrase “ethics of extinction”, but it sounds like it might be related to what is possible when our demise is understood as justice, grief is entered into, and metanoia effected. If not ,or even if so, is a workshop on the ethics of extinction something you can relate to the quandry of whether motivated reasoning is a savior or a sycophant and feel like facilitating? It sounds interesting to me. =)
December 19th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Guy asked me to field questions, which I’m trying to do, but if I’m overdoing it, my appologies.
Before I’m off to bed I note Danial had an earlier question about how I’m relating motivated reasoning to non-linear climate change. I skipped it because I didn’t know what NTE was an acronym for, and I hadn’t gotten Guy’s request yet. Revisiting that comment I feel my previous response likely addresses most of your question, but if not, post again and help me with the acronym.
December 19th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
.
NTE
Near Term means “about to descend,”
Extinction means “this is the end”;
I don’t mean to offend,
But please, my dear friend,
Do the math, and check out the trend.
December 19th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Another classic exposition on mass thaumaturgy:
The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind
by Le Bon, Gustave
December 19th, 2012 at 11:05 pm
I’m with Jennifer, eager to participate, waiting for guidance on how to proceed. If I’m understanding the proposed process correctly, it will invite participants to keep their comments on topic within one of three (so far)topics (“workshops”) so that idea threads can develop without becoming lost in a welter of unrelated comments. I’ve been longing for this.
I attended a transition training a few years ago, and still remember the magic moment on the second day when we started to “get it” about how much more joyful and fulfilling society would be after the transition so that we wanted to hurry forward to make it happen. At first it the discussion was all about loss (of so many “things” our failing society values so much), and even in that self-selected group of people who were convinced that transition was necessary, there was a painful cast to the discussion.
Now it’s clear that the prospective loss is much greater than cheap energy in it’s many forms (i.e. cars, consumer goods, grocery food, electricity and running water) so no wonder that so many intelligent people refuse to accept what they know to be true, that they are stuck behind the curtain of fear and can’t see or reach the far more rewarding state that can be achieved after acceptance of reality.
I hope that this workshop process will help us learn how to be better leaders.
December 20th, 2012 at 6:26 am
Guy, with respect to your post above: maybe it hasn’t happened YET due to the delay in the composite systems of weather, finances and society, but it most definitely will happen. If you’re saying that your message is falling on deaf ears, i beg to differ – it’s just a slow process either getting the word out to everyone or people independently coming to the same conclusion. As i’ve noted before there are signs that more and more people – including meteorologists who have begun to comment about global warming and climate change, movies and entertainment broaching the subject and people (like midwestern, southwestern and southeastern farmers actually confronting it daily and yearly) trying to make sense of things like superstorm Sandy, or the outbreak of a record number of tornados or the long-term drought or the lack of a real winter (as opposed to the Ukraine and Russia today which is suffering through their worst cold winter in 70 years, while the Ring of Fire is quietly waking up and few are paying any attention). People will come around eventually, though we know it’s already far too late. Their thinking isn’t much more than dealing with the details of daily living, which has become so precarious that most people who still have jobs are totally worried about keeping them and little else, and those who are unemployed spend their time seeking food and shelter for themselves and dependents while seeking employment and don’t have the time or luxury of thinking on a global climate scale.
December 20th, 2012 at 8:52 am
When the plague is coming to town,
There’s a way for avoiding a frown:
We can keep doom away
As long as we play
Ashes ashes! We all fall down.
December 20th, 2012 at 10:11 am
Part of the Open Space Technology process is the periodic “check in”. Consider this comment to be this conference’s first one. At anytime, feel free to email me (see workshop list) with any needs that need to be considered and addressed, or post it in a comment. And, in case it is a concern, facilitating a workshop does not require listing ones email address.
First announcements. Links have been added as “Trackbacks/Pingbacks” that link workshops to their respective blog entries. Guy has informed me that he is away most of the day, so other suggested edits for the original text, which would reflect changes made within the comments concerning workshop dynamics, may not happen for a while, or there may be software issues that preclude them. This is a learning process…don’t forget the belly laugh.
Absorbing the content of the comments so far, I’ll reflect that there are some of us–somewhat–patiently waiting for workshops to start, as well as some with hard earned skepticism that this conference concept isn’t a waste of time. The “Law of Two Feet” accommodates both–and also the proverbial–& sapient–’silent majority’.
Anyway, as the “Guest Blogger” and defacto conference facilitator, I’m going to try to do two different things with these “check ins”: clarify dynamics and procedures, as some are requesting, and, welcome, but suggest redirection of, cynicism (i.e. have this conference be a safe space for grief, despair, and anger, AND delight, joy, and gaiety). What may result from participation in this conference’s workshops is a better grasp of how, just as homeostasis comes in many iterations, so does the inherent dynamics of motivated reasoning/confirmation bias. With such an expanded grasp, might “hidden” options can be perceived to begin to learn anew to think and feel differently?
Concerning getting started. While that will be up to each workshop’s facilitator, an implied deadline for starting them would be the first day with increasing daylight in the northern hemisphere (Saturday). Since I’m planning to wait until the mechanics in the opening text more accurately reflect what is happening before sharing this virtual conference with my networks, I can state that I wont be doing much with either of the workshops I’m facilitating until the weekend. That said, and with Guy providing each workshop its separate blog entry, signing up for workshops is now feasible. The sign-up step is part of the Open Space Technology (OST) process. Please do so, as a comment, at the workshops’ blog entries that you plan to participate in and/or facilitate. As an introduction/ice breaker, share anything you’d like about yourself and/or your interest as introduction when signing up. As one of the facilitators, I know I will find such comments helpful. And, since comments are already being made, within the framework of OST, some workshops have started. =)
I think that covers what I’m responsible for in a “check in” session, but these “check in” times are where the group takes responsibility for its well-being. Is there anything in the comments so far that have not been satisfactorily addressed relative to participation in the conference’s workshops and/or facilitating one? Among the readers who both have and haven’t commented yet, are there needs and/or questions that need to be addressed now?
December 21st, 2012 at 4:52 am
Since several pre-workshop comments in the “…apostate church…” space seem to be requesting it, as part of this solstice AM “check in”, a bit of background regarding this “virtual OST conference” concept. It is offered with the intent of giving readers more confidence regrading what participation is, and why. “Whether” to participate is a matter of the OST Law of Two Feet. ;)
Also, there is another workshop that I feel needs to be included in this conference. I am already volunteering to do more than I will likely do well. The title of it could be: “What are motivated reasoning’s impacts on the dynamics of the Blogosphere?” From what I have gleaned from the comments I’ve read, there are more than a few commenters who could facilitate such a workshop, and among those who haven’t commented…? A description of it might be:
“To the degree the Blogosphere constitutes a place of virtual social communities, what are the roles motivated reasoning play in hi-jacking the enabling social networking tools to amplify trusted, but dead end, memes? The workshop will explore the insights that are shared, and process these with the intent of developing queries to report out that can be available to evolve how the tools are used and engaged with.”
I, for one, will sign up to participate, but who, as an individual or a team, can facilitate it?
And, as a friendly reminder: today is the last day to post a workshop you’d like to offer and facilitate.
Now, back to the background. Assuming Guy and I will do some processing of this event once it is wrapped up, such will likely be when we figure out what this was about. I judge that a great deal of intuitive trust is involved in the initiation of this virtual conference. The trustworthiness of that trust will be determined by what is consequenced as a result doing it. Simply, it is an opportunity to do something different. Ideally there would have been a process for buy-in by stakeholders. That didn’t happen–and, as a few have noted–probably could not have happened (& why the above workshop would be an interesting one). Currently, the most logical answer to “why?” is “why not?”. This is because, empirically, that is how it came to be. What the OST conference “Motivated Reasoning: Savior or Sycophant?” is is being defined by all of us.
That shared, are there any needs, issues, and/or questions that need to be addressed at this time?
December 21st, 2012 at 5:06 am
I’ve posted a new essay. It’s here.