The Illusion of 'Doing Your Own Research'

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This chapter investigates the phrase 'do your own research,' tracing its origins and exploring the psychological factors that lead individuals to prioritize confirmation over objective facts. It examines how this mindset has been amplified by social media and public distrust in experts, affecting health and vaccination debates.

Sedona Chinn, who studies how people make sense of competing claims – scientific, environmental, health-related – joins us to discuss her latest research into doing your own research. Her research has found that the more a person values the concept of doing your own research, the less likely that person is to actually do their own research. In the episode we explore the origin of the concept, what that phrase really means, and the implications of her study on everything from politics to vaccines to conspiratorial thinking.

Sedona Chinn's Website

Sedona Chinn's Twitter

Sedona Chinn's Paper

The Other Paper Mentioned

How Minds Change

David McRaney’s Twitter