Rationally Speaking Podcast Rationally Speaking #19 - Brendan Nyhan on False Beliefs that Refuse to Die
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Oct 10, 2010 Political scientist Brendan Nyhan discusses the challenges of changing false beliefs, citing examples like Iraq's WMDs and misconceptions about political figures. He explores the role of ideology in perpetuating false beliefs and emphasizes the importance of elites in dispelling misinformation. The conversation also touches on strategies to combat false beliefs, survey data reliability, and the evolving media landscape.
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Selective Exposure Limits Corrections
- People self-select media that matches their predispositions, limiting exposure to corrective facts.
- Brendan Nyhan found corrections often fail or backfire when beliefs are identity-linked.
Corrections Can Backfire
- Corrections can fail and sometimes increase false beliefs among partisans.
- Nyhan observed conservative subjects became more likely to believe WMD claims after corrections.
Education Affects Misperceptions Nonlinearly
- Higher education correlates with fewer misperceptions overall but also with stronger resistance when beliefs align with ideology.
- Knowledgeable partisans better defend and rationalize incorrect claims.