Regulatory focus and deliberate ignorance: When perceived accessibility leads to the decision to ignore information

While extensive research has focused on information seeking, the phenomenon of deliberate ignorance, where individuals choose not to know available information despite negligible acquisition costs and potentially high benefits, remains less understood. This study investigated the interplay of regulatory focus, perceived importance of learning, and perceived accessibility in predicting deliberate ignorance among young Indonesians. Employing a within-subjects, vignette-based experimental design with 114 respondents, we observed deliberate ignorance across all manipulated regulatory focus conditions. Generalised Estimating Equations revealed a significant interaction: a promotion focus, driven by the anticipation of pleasant emotions, strengthened the positive effect of perceived accessibility on deliberate ignorance. Conversely, the perceived importance of knowing consistently reduced deliberate ignorance, independent of regulatory focus. These findings highlight a nuanced relationship between cognitive factors, anticipated emotions-based regulatory focus, and the decision to remain ignorant. Consistent with regulatory focus theory, our results suggest that a promotion focus heightens sensitivity to potential emotional losses, increasing the likelihood of ignoring easily accessible information. Since most of the information offered in this research was internet-based, online communicators should be attentive to how information accessibility interacts with promotion-focused motivations. At the same time, educators can leverage these insights to empower young adults with strategies for navigating digital information overload.