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Review
. 2024 Mar;19(2):385-403.
doi: 10.1177/17456916231193990. Epub 2023 Oct 26.

Motivated Cognition in Cooperation

Susann Fiedler  1   2 , Hooman Habibnia  1 , Alina Fahrenwaldt  2   3 , Rima-Maria Rahal  2
Affiliations
Review

Motivated Cognition in Cooperation

Susann Fiedler et al. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Successful cooperation is tightly linked to individuals' beliefs about their interaction partners, the decision setting, and existing norms, perceptions, and values. This article reviews and integrates findings from judgment and decision-making, social and cognitive psychology, political science, and economics, developing a systematic overview of the mechanisms underlying motivated cognition in cooperation. We elaborate on how theories and concepts related to motivated cognition developed in various disciplines define the concept and describe its functionality. We explain why beliefs play such an essential role in cooperation, how they can be distorted, and how this fosters or harms cooperation. We also highlight how individual differences and situational factors change the propensity to engage in motivated cognition. In the form of a construct map, we provide a visualization of the theoretical and empirical knowledge structure regarding the role of motivated cognition, including its many interdependencies, feedback loops, and moderating influences. We conclude with a brief suggestion for a future research agenda based on this compiled evidence.

Keywords: belief updating; cooperation; information search; motivated cognition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared that there were no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship or the publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Concept map of the role of motivated cognition in cooperation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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