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In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Joe Pierre, psychiatrist and author of False, to explore why people believe things that aren’t true—and why challenging those beliefs is rarely as simple as presenting the facts. Drawing from research in psychiatry, cognitive science, and social psychology, Dr. Pierre unpacks the emotional, identity-based, and relational roots of misinformation and conspiratorial thinking. Whether you’re a clinician, educator, or simply someone trying to make sense of our “post-truth” era, this conversation offers an evidence-based look at the psychology behind false beliefs. In this conversation we discuss:

Why smart people believe irrational things
The emotional and identity functions of conspiracy theories
How misinformation spreads—and why it's so sticky
The limits of fact-checking and logic-based persuasion
The "prognosis" for someone who believes in conspiracy theories
The role of mental illness in extreme beliefs (and where the line is)
Online echo chambers, tribalism, and distrust in institutions
The psychological appeal of certainty in uncertain times
Strategies for promoting critical thinking and intellectual humility

Bio: Joe Pierre, MD, is a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. With a background in both molecular biology and psychology from MIT and medical training at UCLA, Dr. Pierre’s career has focused on severe mental illness, particularly psychotic disorders. In addition to his clinical work, he’s a prolific writer and commentator on the psychology of belief, delusion, and misinformation. His Psych Unseen column for Psychology Today explores the intersection of psychiatry, media, and culture. False is his definitive exploration of why we believe things that aren’t true, and what that means for our mental health and collective future.

drjoepierre.com

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen

@psychunseen

@psychunseen.bsky.social

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