Why People Believe Inaccurate Information
- id: 1741614593
- Date: March 10, 2025, 1:59 p.m.
- Author: Donald F. Elger
- Goals
- Explain why people believe inaccurate information.
- For yourself, minimize or eliminate these causes.
Overview
People have many incorrect beliefs. Examples:
- Incorrect beliefs about diet and health
- Incorrect beliefs about their religion
- Incorrect beliefs about political issues
- Incorrect beliefs about people who differ from them
- Incorrect beliefs about commercial products
The goal is to have correct beliefs.
This page list some causes that explain why people hold incorrect beliefs, and the skills that can be used to innoculate yourself from this cause
Rationale
If you grok the causes of incorrect beliefs, you can
- Lessen the incorrect beliefs that you hold.
- More effectively persuade other about what is correct.
Causes and Antidotes
| Cause of Incorrect Belief | Antidote |
|---|---|
| Confirmation Bias | Get balanced information |
| Motivated Reasoning (Believing what feels good) | Prioritize truth over comfort |
| Social Influence (Tribalism, Echo Chambers) | Seek diverse perspectives |
| Misinformation (Source is wrong) | Get info from reliable sources |
| Cognitive Laziness (Not thinking critically) | Develop critical thinking skills |
| Emotional Reasoning (Feeling = Truth) | Separate emotions from facts |
| Jumping to Conclusions | Get complete information |
| Overconfidence (Thinking you know more than you do) | Stay humble and keep learning |
| Trusting Authority Unquestioningly | Verify claims, even from experts |
| Illusory Truth Effect (Repeated exposure makes falsehoods seem true) | Check facts, even if you’ve heard them many times |
| Misinterpretation of Evidence | Learn how to properly interpret data and arguments |
| Anecdotal Reasoning (Believing personal stories over data) | Rely on broader evidence, not just personal experiences |
| Groupthink (Going along with the group) | Be willing to question collective beliefs |
| Cherry-Picking Evidence | Consider all relevant evidence, not just what supports your view |
| Appeal to Tradition (Believing something because it’s always been believed) | Re-evaluate beliefs in light of new evidence |
| Correct Information is Threatening (Ego Defense) | Seek truth, not just being right |
| False Equivalence (Thinking all viewpoints are equally valid) | Recognize when some views are more supported than others |
| Cognitive Dissonance (Ignoring conflicting information to reduce discomfort) | Accept that changing beliefs is part of growth |
| Media Manipulation & Propaganda | Learn how media influences beliefs and fact-check sources |
| Language Manipulation (Euphemisms, Loaded Words) | Be aware of how language shapes perception |