Stanford Psychology Podcast

141 - Michael Schwalbe and Geoff Cohen: When Politics Trumps Truths

Nov 7, 2024

In this discussion, Michael Schwalbe, a postdoctoral fellow focused on political news biases, and Geoff Cohen, a psychology professor studying belonging and self-concept, tackle the fascinating interplay between politics and truth. They highlight how individuals often prioritize politically aligned news over factual accuracy, a tendency amplified by social media. The conversation dives into the implications for democracy and explores ways to combat misinformation. Their insights urge greater self-awareness and critical thinking in an increasingly polarized media landscape.

37:25

Episode guests

Geoff Cohen

Michael Schwalbe

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Individuals tend to accept and share politically aligned false news more readily than truthful information that contradicts their beliefs.

The increasing bias in media consumption poses challenges for democratic discourse, emphasizing the need for critical engagement and media literacy.

Deep dives

The Impact of Political Concordance on News Beliefs

People demonstrate a notable tendency to believe news that aligns with their political beliefs over factual accuracy. Research shows this bias, known as political concordance, leads individuals to accept headlines that support their views, even when the headlines are false or absurd. For instance, many participants were found to endorse outrageous false news items when they aligned politically, indicating a significant confirmation bias. This phenomenon highlights the challenge posed by such biases in discerning truthful reporting in a politically polarized landscape.

Intro

2min

Perceptions of Truth in Political News

15min

The Ripple Effects of Sharing News in the Digital Age

2min

The Impact of Bias on Analytic Reasoning in Political Contexts

4min

Media Bias and Misinformation: Navigating Truth in Elections

14min

Anjie chats with Dr. Michael Schwalbe and Dr. Geoff Cohen. Michael is a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, from which he also received his PhD in social psychology. Geoff is a Professor of Psychology and the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business at Stanford University. His research examines the processes that shape people’s sense of belonging and self-concept, and the role that these processes play in various social problems. In this episode, Michael and Geoff shared their most recent work on biases we have when consuming political news: people were more likely to believe and share news aligned with their political beliefs, compared to news that was true, even when the headlines were outlandishly fake. They also talked about the implications of these biases for democracy, misinformation, and how we might counteract our own tendencies to favor agreeable but untrue information.

Michael & Geoff’s paper: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2025-33892-004.html

Stanford Report's coverage on the paper: https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/10/new-study-shows-that-partisanship-trumps-truth

Michael’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelschwalbe/

Geoff’s lab website: http://cohenlab.stanford.edu

Geoff’s personal website: https://www.geoffreylcohen.com/bio

Anjie’s: website: anjiecao.github.io

Anjie’s Twitter @anjie_cao

Podcast Twitter @StanfordPsyPod

Podcast Substack https://stanfordpsypod.substack.com/

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