People sometimes avoid information on purpose, a behavior known as willful ignorance. Most explanations focus on specific motives, but this research suggests a broader perspective: avoiding information can be understood as part of how people form beliefs. Two main needs drive this behavior: the desire for specific certainty (wanting a clear answer that supports what we already think) and the desire for non-specific certainty (wanting to reduce overall doubt). Depending on the situation, these needs can lead people to ignore or block information. Authors argue that this approach offers conceptual clarity by embedding information avoidance within belief formation processes and provides a unified framework that generates novel insights and testable hypotheses.
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Link to the article: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1leko,rU%7EO3hWs
