Abstract
This paper proposes that self-deception results from the emotional coherence of beliefs with subjective goals. We apply the HOTCO computational model of emotional coherence to simulate a rich case of self-deception from Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.We argue that this model is more psychologically realistic than other available accounts of self-deception, and discuss related issues such as wishful thinking, intention, and the division of the self.
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Sahdra, B., Thagard, P. Self-Deception and Emotional Coherence. Minds and Machines 13, 213–231 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022940107699
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022940107699