Cognitive distortions — systematic errors in thinking — are both symptoms and drivers of motivated reasoning. Identifying and correcting them is core to CBT.
Common Cognitive Distortions in Motivated Reasoning
All-or-nothing thinking: 'I failed once, therefore I always fail' — common in motivated reasoning
Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst-case outcome for motivated reasoning-related situations
Mind reading: Assuming others are judging you negatively
Fortune telling: Predicting negative motivated reasoning-related outcomes as facts
Emotional reasoning: 'I feel like I'm failing, therefore I am' — motivated reasoning emotions mistaken for evidence
Should statements: Rigid rules about how you or others must behave that create motivated reasoning when violated
Correcting Cognitive Distortions in Motivated Reasoning
The CBT process: identify the distorted thought → examine the evidence → generate a more balanced alternative → notice the effect on motivated reasoning.
With practice, cognitive restructuring becomes automatic and motivated reasoning loses much of its staying power.