The neuroscience of motivated cognition

Brent L Hughes; Jamil Zaki

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.12.006

The neuroscience of motivated cognition

Trends Cogn Sci. 2015 Feb;19(2):62-4. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2014.12.006.

Authors

Brent L Hughes¹, Jamil Zaki²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

PMID: 25640642
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2014.12.006

Abstract

Goals and needs shape individuals' thinking, a phenomenon known as motivated cognition. We highlight research from social psychology and cognitive neuroscience that provides insight into the structure of motivated cognition. In addition to demonstrating its ubiquity, we suggest that motivated cognition is often effortless and pervades information processing.

Keywords: automaticity; cognitive control; cognitive dissonance; intergroup bias; motivation; self-enhancement.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Attention / physiology
Brain / physiology
Cognition* / physiology
Decision Making / physiology
Humans
Motivation* / physiology
Perception / physiology