Instead of complacent acceptance of misinformed beliefs, we need institutional moves to cultivate trust between experts and the public.
Articles on False beliefs
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Overcoming conspiracy theories isn’t just about information. A scholar of religion explains that the emotions they inspire are part of their appeal.
Cognitive shortcuts help you efficiently move through a complicated world. But they come with an unwelcome side effect: Facts aren’t necessarily enough to change your mind.
This is the real reason you believe in superstitions.
Not all false beliefs arise from malicious misinformation. Some legal precedents rest on the status of everyday ‘common knowledge’, since shown to be false, but embedded in our law nonetheless.
Sociologists know what conditions make it more likely a mass delusion will take hold and spread through a group – whether adherence to a fashion fad or belief in a doomsday cult.
Top contributors
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Professor in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of South Carolina
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Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Cognitive and Parapsychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
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PhD Student, Philosophy, Dalhousie University
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Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University
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Director of the Research Hub for Language in Forensic Evidence, The University of Melbourne