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Ex ante coherence shifts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

Dan Simon Open the ORCID record for Dan Simon [Opens in a new window]  and
Keith J. Holyoak
Dan Simon
Affiliation:
Gould School of Law and Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089-0071dsimon@law.usc.eduhttps://weblaw.usc.edu/faculty/?id=307
Keith J. Holyoak
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095-1563. holyoak@lifesci.ucla.eduhttps://www.psych.ucla.edu/faculty/page/kholyoak
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Abstract

Cushman characterizes rationalization as the inverse of rational reasoning, but this distinction is psychologically questionable. Coherence-based reasoning highlights a subtler form of bidirectionality: By distorting task attributes to make one course of action appear superior to its rivals, a patina of rationality is bestowed on the choice. This mechanism drives choice and action, rather than just following in their wake.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 43 , 2020 , e47
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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