The Why Factor
Fear vs Fact
Aug 5, 2016
Exploring the prevalence of fear-driven beliefs over facts in a post-factual age. How fear distorts reality and influences decision-making. Challenges in debunking misinformation online and the influence of fear and identities on beliefs.
17:52
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Quick takeaways
- Fear-driven misinformation leads to overestimation of social issues.
- Emotional appeals by politicians can overshadow factual corrections, reinforcing misbeliefs.
Deep dives
Fear's Impact on Perceptions and Misconceptions
Fear plays a significant role in shaping people's perceptions and misconceptions. In the modern era, despite facts being available on evolution, climate change, and historical events like the moon landing, people often disregard facts. Misperceptions are highlighted, such as overestimating population demographics and prevalence of social issues. Emotions, particularly fear, drive overestimation of worrisome topics, leading to a cycle where worry causes overestimation and vice versa.
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