ABSTRACT
This chapter examines emerging evidence that individuals sometimes hold positive illusions about current states of affairs more broadly, even in contexts in which the status quo does not advantage them or their social groups. It explores the role of system justification and related constructs in both information production and consumption. The chapter suggests that several directions for future research, including the possibility of bias emerging from system rejection. It considers whether accurate or biased perceptions of the status quo facilitate optimal societal functioning. The specific bottom-up influences on cognition regard the production of “alternative facts” or “fake news.” Distorted information production and consumption can work in tandem such that bottom-up misinformation might be integrated and further distorted via top-down processes. Misperceptions of reality can have critical negative and positive consequences across a variety of domains. System-level motives also appear to impact selective exposure to and evaluation of scientific information in domains beyond climate change.
