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Facing Facts: Do people moderate their views in the light of evidence?
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Henosis Sage
Jul 10, 2016, 11:08:26 AM7/10/16
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BBC News and The IRAQ War Inquiry Findings
Chilcot: Why we cover our ears to the facts
10 July 2016
Do people moderate their views when presented with overwhelming evidence to the
contrary? Not necessarily, writes Matthew Syed.
We like to think that we apportion our beliefs to the evidence. After all,
isn't this the hallmark of rationality? When information comes along which
reveals we should change our minds, we do.
Or do we?
Consider an experiment, where two groups were recruited. One group was adamantly
in favour of capital punishment. They had strong feelings on the issue, and had
publicly backed the policy. The other group were adamantly against, horrified by
"state-sanctioned murder".
These groups were then showed two dossiers. Each of these dossiers were
impressive. They marshalled well-researched evidence. But here's the thing. The
first dossier collated all the evidence in favour of capital punishment. The
second collated all the evidence against.
Now you might suppose that, confronted by this contradictory evidence, the two
groups would have concluded that capital punishment is a complex subject with
arguments on both sides. You might have expected them to have moved a little
closer in their views. In fact, the opposite happened - they became more
polarised.
---
What this (and dozens of other experiments) reveal is the way we filter new
information when it challenges our strongly-held beliefs or judgements. We
use a series of post hoc manoeuvres to RE-FRAME ANYTHING INCONVENIENT to our
original position.
We question the probity of the evidence, or the credentials of the people who
discovered it, or their motives, or whatever. The more information that
emerges to challenge our perspective, the more creatively we search for new
justifications, and the more entrenched we become in our prior view.
[ DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR ??? ]
This tendency is called "cognitive dissonance".
Read more to educate yourself better:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36744911
See a.r.e.:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.religion.eckankar/%22cognitive$20dissonance%22%7Csort:relevance
http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_dissonance.htm
http://damienmarieathope.com/2015/09/11/new-religious-movements-same-old-reasonless-nonsense/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abductive_reasoning
Prof. George Lakoff - Reason is 98% Subconscious Metaphor in Frames
& CULTural Narratives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm0R1du1GqA
PLAYLIST - GEORGE LAKOFF Cognitive Science Linguistics Politics
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLunO6ghcPSn-zWFtHVFXXf-vRgL65kSDK
Mindfulness Psychology Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLunO6ghcPSn831y9gsWXqSVOEXgj3ccGz
The 6 Master Manipulations that Narcissists Use - "The Perpetually Bored"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kizgcgBViZ4&list=PLunO6ghcPSn_mnb0SuoOg4V0M4GHM9H6C&index=46
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Televangelists + CREATING A TAX FREE CHURCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg&list=PLunO6ghcPSn_mnb0SuoOg4V0M4GHM9H6C&index=44
The above is only a few items from the WISDOM POOL ...
DIVE IN ONE DAY, YOU'LL LIKE IT.
IT'S FREEING and something to REJOICE IN.
*twinkle*
Chilcot: Why we cover our ears to the facts
10 July 2016
Do people moderate their views when presented with overwhelming evidence to the
contrary? Not necessarily, writes Matthew Syed.
We like to think that we apportion our beliefs to the evidence. After all,
isn't this the hallmark of rationality? When information comes along which
reveals we should change our minds, we do.
Or do we?
Consider an experiment, where two groups were recruited. One group was adamantly
in favour of capital punishment. They had strong feelings on the issue, and had
publicly backed the policy. The other group were adamantly against, horrified by
"state-sanctioned murder".
These groups were then showed two dossiers. Each of these dossiers were
impressive. They marshalled well-researched evidence. But here's the thing. The
first dossier collated all the evidence in favour of capital punishment. The
second collated all the evidence against.
Now you might suppose that, confronted by this contradictory evidence, the two
groups would have concluded that capital punishment is a complex subject with
arguments on both sides. You might have expected them to have moved a little
closer in their views. In fact, the opposite happened - they became more
polarised.
---
What this (and dozens of other experiments) reveal is the way we filter new
information when it challenges our strongly-held beliefs or judgements. We
use a series of post hoc manoeuvres to RE-FRAME ANYTHING INCONVENIENT to our
original position.
We question the probity of the evidence, or the credentials of the people who
discovered it, or their motives, or whatever. The more information that
emerges to challenge our perspective, the more creatively we search for new
justifications, and the more entrenched we become in our prior view.
[ DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR ??? ]
This tendency is called "cognitive dissonance".
Read more to educate yourself better:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36744911
See a.r.e.:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/alt.religion.eckankar/%22cognitive$20dissonance%22%7Csort:relevance
http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_dissonance.htm
http://damienmarieathope.com/2015/09/11/new-religious-movements-same-old-reasonless-nonsense/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abductive_reasoning
Prof. George Lakoff - Reason is 98% Subconscious Metaphor in Frames
& CULTural Narratives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm0R1du1GqA
PLAYLIST - GEORGE LAKOFF Cognitive Science Linguistics Politics
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLunO6ghcPSn-zWFtHVFXXf-vRgL65kSDK
Mindfulness Psychology Meditation
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLunO6ghcPSn831y9gsWXqSVOEXgj3ccGz
The 6 Master Manipulations that Narcissists Use - "The Perpetually Bored"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kizgcgBViZ4&list=PLunO6ghcPSn_mnb0SuoOg4V0M4GHM9H6C&index=46
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Televangelists + CREATING A TAX FREE CHURCH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1xJAVZxXg&list=PLunO6ghcPSn_mnb0SuoOg4V0M4GHM9H6C&index=44
The above is only a few items from the WISDOM POOL ...
DIVE IN ONE DAY, YOU'LL LIKE IT.
IT'S FREEING and something to REJOICE IN.
*twinkle*
Kinpa
Jul 10, 2016, 11:00:35 PM7/10/16
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