Reasoning to Rationalize or to be Accurate? Individuals’ Inclination for Systematic Processing and Reasoning-Motivations in Motivated Reasoning

The central aim of this registered report is to investigate possible effects of reasoning motivations on the interaction of cognitive style and motivated reasoning. It is suggested that the effects of cognitive style on motivated reasoning are dependent on the reasoning motivation in a way that an accuracy motivation leads to the attenuation of motivated reasoning due to cognitive style, whereas a defense motivation leads to the enhancement of motivated reasoning due to cognitive style. These relationships are proposed to be tested in an online experimental 2 x 3 between-subjects design.