Final answer:
Psychology research has shown that motivated reasoning is a human tendency to embrace ideas that we want to believe while rejecting evidence that challenges those beliefs. This suggests that people can be motivated when they persuade themselves to believe something. Motivated reasoning can be influenced by internal motivations and external persuasion techniques.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychology research has shown that motivated reasoning is a human tendency to embrace ideas that we want to believe while rejecting evidence that challenges those beliefs. This suggests that people can be motivated when they persuade themselves to believe something. For example, individuals may first decide on a belief, such as 'gun control makes us safer' or 'gun control makes us less safe,' and then seek out evidence that supports their chosen belief while disregarding contradicting evidence.
This concept of motivated reasoning can explain why individuals sometimes make incorrect judgments in politics and other areas. It is a form of bias that leads people to arrive at conclusions they want to believe instead of neutrally considering the evidence. Motivated reasoning can be influenced by internal motivations and external persuasion techniques.
Overall, psychology suggests that people can be motivated when they engage in motivated reasoning, persuading themselves to believe certain ideas while rejecting contradicting evidence.