Abstract: We present the first experimental evidence that the timing of informativeness influences motivated reasoning. Participants place more weight on information that aligns with their desired outcomes when they learn about a signal’s informativeness after receiving the signal, compared to when the order is reversed. This order effect is driven by uninformative signals: once such a signal is received, it appears difficult to disregard. However, individuals are more likely to retract a uninformative signal when it does not support their preferred conclusion. These findings suggest that revealing informativeness earlier may be a simple yet effective way to mitigate motivated reasoning.

Register in advance for this meeting: here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.