Beliefs are, in many ways, central to psychology and, in turn, consistency is central to belief.
Theories in philosophy and psychology assume that beliefs must be consistent with each …

Philosophical tradition and conspiracy theorists converge in suggesting that ordinary people
ought to do their own research, rather than accept the word of others. In this paper, I argue …

Decades of findings in psychology suggest that human belief is thoroughly irrational. At best,
beliefs might be formed by heuristic processes that predictably lead to suboptimal outcomes …

Public support for responses to the coronavirus pandemic has sharply diverged on partisan
lines in many countries, with conservatives tending to oppose lockdowns, social distancing …

Academic Abstract The motto of the conspiracist,“Do your own research,” may seem
ludicrous to scientists. Indeed, it is often dismissed as a mere rhetorical device that …

The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by an “infodemic” of misinformation and
conspiracy theory. This article points to three explanatory factors: the challenge of forming …

Much of what we know we know through testimony, and knowing on the basis of testimony
requires some degree of trust in speakers. Trust is therefore very valuable. But in trusting, we …

What can theories of nationalism and the nation-state tell us about climate change? Much of
the available literature, including works by prominent thinkers Ulrich Beck and Bruno Latour …

There is considerable debate about whether survey respondents regularly engage in
“expressive responding”–professing to believe something that they do not sincerely believe …

According to many, we live in “posttruth” times, with the pervasiveness of falsehoods being
an existential threat to democracy and the functioning of free societies. Why do people …