On the Independent Roles of Cognitive & Political Sophistication: Variation across Attitudinal Objects

Autor/inn/en	Vitriol, Joseph A.; Sandor, Joseph; Vidigal, Robert; Farhart, Christina
Titel	On the Independent Roles of Cognitive & Political Sophistication: Variation across Attitudinal Objects
Quelle	In: Applied Cognitive Psychology, 37 (2023) 2, S.319-331 (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Vitriol, Joseph A.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0888-4080
DOI	10.1002/acp.4022
Schlagwörter	Thinking Skills; Cognitive Processes; Political Attitudes; Cognitive Ability; Misconceptions; Theories; COVID-19; Pandemics + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Denkfähigkeit; Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Political attitude; Politische Einstellung; Missverständnis; Theory; Theorie
Abstract	People are motivated to maintain consistency between importantly held identities, preferences, and judgments. In political contexts, motivated reasoning can help explain a wide range of political phenomena, including extremism, polarization, and misperceptions. However, recent findings in psychology have challenged this account. These perspectives emphasize the role of cognitive sophistication (e.g., analytical reasoning, numerical literacy) in political attitudes, but differ in terms of whether it is expected to attenuate or exacerbate politically motivated reasoning and belief in conspiracy theories. Yet prior investigations have not examined the relative and independent effects of both political and cognitive sophistication. Using data from two samples, including one sampled to approximate representativeness in the U.S., we demonstrate that both types of sophistication have independent and (at times) countervailing effects on belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and other political attitudes. Our results are critical for theories of cognitive sophistication, political cognition, and attitudes, and the psychology of conspiracy theories. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01