Emotional reasoning

Not to be confused with Appeal to emotion or Rationalization (psychology).
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Emotional reasoning is a cognitive process by which an individual concludes that their emotional reaction proves something is true, despite contrary empirical evidence. Emotional reasoning creates an 'emotional truth', which may be in direct conflict with the inverse 'perceptional truth'.[1] It can create feelings of anxiety, fear, and apprehension in existing stressful situations, and as such, is often associated with or triggered by panic disorder or anxiety disorder.[2] For example, even though a spouse has shown only devotion, a person using emotional reasoning might conclude, "I know my spouse is being unfaithful because I feel jealous."

This process amplifies the effects of other cognitive distortions. For example, a student may feel insecure about their understanding of test material even though they are capable of answering the questions. If said student acts on their insecurity about failing the test, they might make the assumption that they misunderstand the material and therefore may guess answers randomly, causing their own failure in a self-fulfilling prophecy.[3]

Emotional reasoning is related to other similar concepts, such as: motivated reasoning, a type of reasoning wherein individuals reach conclusions from bias instead of empirical motivations;[4] emotional intelligence, which relates to the ways in which individuals use their emotions to understand situations or the information and reach conclusions;[5] and cognitive distortion or cognitive deficiency, wherein individuals misinterpret situations or make decisions without considering a range of consequences.[6]

  1. ^ de Sousa, Ronald; Morton, Adam (2002). "Emotional Truth". Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes. 76: 247–275. JSTOR 4106969.
  2. ^ Cooper, Peter J.; Alkozei, Anna; Creswell, Cathy (January 2014). "Emotional reasoning and anxiety sensitivity: Associations with social anxiety disorder in childhood". Journal of Affective Disorders. 152–154: 219–228. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2013.09.014. PMC 3878593. PMID 24120086. S2CID 2214310.
  3. ^ Brophy, Jere E. (July 1982). "Research on the Self-fulfilling Prophecy and Teacher Expectations" (PDF). Michigan State University Research on Teaching. Michigan State University. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  4. ^ Pandelaere, M. 2007. "Motivated Reasoning." Pp. 595–97 in Encyclopedia of Social Psychology 2, edited by R. F. Baumeister and K. D. Vohs. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
  5. ^ Brackett, M. A., and P. Salovey. 2007. "Emotional Intelligence." Pp. 293–94 in Encyclopedia of Social Psychology 1, edited by R. F. Baumeister and K. D. Vohs. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
  6. ^ Forman, S. G. 2005. "Cognitive–Behavioral Modification." Pp. 95–98 in Encyclopedia of School Psychology, edited by S. W. Lee. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.