Meta-cognitive shortfall

Errors and shortcomings involving people’s lack of knowledge about effective reasoning strategies: their failure to recognize the biases of their mental models and the ease with which accommodations can be made in them, and their failure to reconsider conclusions in light of further information.

There is a preference for constructing and maintaining simple, one-sided views: people have a tendency to minimize cognitive load and to wish to hold on to their favoured beliefs. Coming to a rational conclusion requires substantial cognitive effort and modifying or replacing outdated or mistaken, but valued, beliefs can be painful.

If actors are satisfied that a belief has coherence, and is congruent with their prior beliefs this may be enough for them to decide that a particular conclusion is acceptable, even if the conclusion is suspect or there is substantial uncertainty about it. If it “makes sense” they may see no need to think about it any further – a method which is straightforward and probably adequate for many purposes and functional most of the time.