3 biases fueling belief in conspiracy theories
“The problem with conspiracy theories is they’re not just telling you a story, they’re telling you a really good story. There’s a hidden cabal behind everything that’s happening, there’s a secret pattern that you just have to be smart enough to detect.”
The modern world is full of conspiratorial thinking: People see an event and come up with an extraordinary story, a “hidden truth” that explains everything. These extravagant stories are so sticky in our minds because we are predisposed to finding patterns and we’re allergic to explanations that involve either randomness or banality, explains Brian Klaas, a professor and political scientist. This allergy to randomness is one of the reasons there is so much polarization and democratic breakdown around the world; because we simply inhabit different realities due to the fact that there has been such a surge in global conspiratorial thinking. So how can we fight these increasingly pervasive falsehoods? Our brains are driven to find explanations that fit a pattern and fit a narrative, a story that really compels us. When it comes to understanding conspiracy theories, there are 3 main cognitive biases that you need to grapple with.
Timestamps: 0:00: The modern world and conspiratorial thinking 1:56: 3 cognitive biases 2:14: Narrative bias 3:13: Magnitude bias 4:49:
Teleological bias Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/great-que…
Psychologist debunks 8 myths of mass scale
8 myths so mainstream we all believe them.
Collective illusions — false assumptions about society that many people share — have existed for thousands of years in many different ways. Today, because of social media and modern technology, they have become even more common. One example of a collective illusion is the commonly held belief that everyone wants fame, wealth, and power. That’s not true. Most of us want lives of purpose and meaning. But because of false assumptions, many of us spend our lives chasing things that won’t fulfill us. Another example of a collective illusion is the pervasive idea that the U.S. is an irredeemably divided nation. Sure, Americans have plenty of disagreements. But fundamentally, they have more in common than they might think. As former Harvard professor and bestselling author Todd Rose explains, the antidote to collective illusions is becoming a more authentic individual, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of how our innate drive to conform to social norms often works against that.
0:00 What is a “collective illusion”? 2:43 How myths invade private opinion 4:54 Myth: Other people can’t be trusted 8:32 Myth: Success is wealth, status, and power 11:12 Myth: Social media reveals what society thinks 13:56: Myth: Group consensus is vetted and factual 17:53: Myth: Elite jobs matter to us 21:11 Myth: America is on the verge of civil war 24:18 Myth: People want university degrees 26:57 Myth: Cultural norms exist to protect you
Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.
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