Belief‐Consistent Information Processing or Coherence‐Based Reasoning: Integrating Two Parsimonious Frameworks for Biases

ABSTRACT Recently, two independently published papers put forward separate frameworks to explain several different biases. Although the two frameworks do not contradict each other, their mere co‐existence is an unsatisfactory state as psychological theory is not advanced. In the present outlook paper, we make a first attempt in bringing the two frameworks together – and with it, the largely unconnected research strands they come from. Specifically, we focus on the (bi‐)directionality of a coherence generating process underlying the core of the one framework – coherence‐based reasoning (CBR) – and argue that one direction is largely consistent with the core process of the other framework: belief‐consistent information processing (BCIP). We elaborate on the circumstances under which coherence will be more likely obtained via BCIP. In doing so, we derive some predictions that future research could test. Furthermore, we point to relevant open questions and outline several recommendations for future research.