María Jesús Maraver
Research Advisor · University of Jaén. HUM740
CoCoMBU Contextual, Cognitive & Motivational mechanisms of Belief Updating
An interdisciplinary project at the CIMCYC (María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence) combining cognitive, social, and computational psychology to study how people update beliefs and trust in sources when processing political information.
About the Project
CoCoMBU will address how people form and revise beliefs about salient social issues—focusing initially on economic inequality and immigration—in information environments that mix factual reporting with narrative frames.
- Integrating cognitive learning & memory research with social-psychological factors.
- Using reinforcement learning (RL) models to quantify belief & trust updating.
- Combining in‑lab experiments with large‑scale conjoint surveys.
- Aiming at translating findings into evidence‑based interventions & guidelines.
Why now?
People consume political information from multiple sources, often with conflicting frames. Understanding how beliefs and source trust are updated is vital to counter persistent misperceptions and polarization.
What’s novel?
We go beyond true/false corrections to examine how format (factual vs. narrative), content, and prior beliefs shape learning dynamics and long‑term memory.
What for?
Outputs will inform practical guidelines and future interventions for practitioners in education, media, policy, and civil society.
Where?
Hosted at CIMCYC’s María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence in Granada, Spain, with international collaborators.
Interdisciplinary Approach
CoCoMBU brings together expertise across domains. Hover over each bubble to reveal more.
Learning Research
Characterize learning trajectories for different types of information.
Social Psychology
Study how social factors and context shape belief systems and trust.
Memory Research
Explore the robustness of memory content and how they are updated (or not) over time.
Computational Modeling
Provides a common interface to bridge data from different domains.
Objectives
Our General Objective is to identify how cognitive learning mechanisms and social‑contextual factors jointly shape belief updating and trust in sources.
SO1 · Learning Dynamics
Model belief & trust updating with RL‑style models; relate online learning to long‑term memory.
SO2 · Contextual Influences
Test effects of content (inequality vs. immigration), and format (factual vs. narrative) on belief and trust building.
SO3 · Psychosocial Moderators
Assess how political ideology, and demographics modulate the effects identified in SO2.
SO4 · Informing Interventions
Outline & pilot strategies that facilitate robust belief & trust building.
Results & Impact
We aim to generate rigorous scientific outputs and translate them into practical benefits beyond the lab. We are starting the first studies soon and will keep this section updated as we move forward.
Expected Outputs
- Open preregistrations and anonymized datasets.
- Reusable task code & modeling notebooks.
- Talks and posters at major conferences.
- Peer‑reviewed research papers.
Pathways to Impact (Beyond the Lab)
- Contact with journalists, NGOs, and educators.
- Evidence‑based guidelines for news communication.
- Teaching materials and outreach talks for the public.
Timeline & Updates
Shortly after we have secured funding, data collection will start (estimated time: first quarter of 2026) Check back for milestones and results snapshots.
Team
Interdisciplinary & international.
Efraín García-Sánchez
Co-PI · University of Granada. Social Psychology (HUM289)
Javier Ortiz-Tudela
Co-PI · University of Granada. Cognitive Neuroscience (HUM379)
Giannis Lois
Research Advisor · University of Crete
Mar Montoya-Lozano
Research Advisor · University of Costa Rica. IIP
Juan Lupiáñez Castillo
University of Granada. Cognitive Neuroscience (HUM379)
Rosa Rodríguez Bailón
University of Granada. Social Psychology (HUM289)
Resources & Funding
We are currently looking for sources of funding to support the development, data collection, and dissemination of CoCoMBU. If you are interested in partnering or supporting this effort, please get in touch.
Contact
Interested in joining the team? We are open for collaboration. Click here to reach out.
Address
CIMCYC · University of Granada
Campus de Cartuja, 18011 · Granada, Spain