If you trust your gut when deciding whether a statement is true or false, maybe it’s just because lizard aliens run the country.
Research into what makes someone accept new information as true or false has revealed that fact and reality are rather slippery concepts.
In a pair of new studies, behavioral scientists investigated the relationship between “truth relativism” – the concept that truth and reality are different to different people – and the risk of falling prey to false information.
“I think a lot of people who emphasize a more relativistic view of truth mean well,” Julia Aspernäs, Ph.D. student in the Department of Behavioral and Learning Sciences at Linköping University in Sweden, in a statement.
“They believe that it is important for everyone to make their voice heard. But this result shows that such a view can actually be quite dangerous,” added Aspernäs.
Studies have found that there are two types of truth relativism: One is called cultural relativism, where the beliefs held by a certain culture or group of people must be true, because everyone in that group believes them.
The other is called subjective relativism, where individuals are convinced that whatever they personally feel is true must therefore be the truth.
The truth is out there — way, way out there.HockleyMedia/peopleimages.com – stock.adobe.com
The research team surveyed about 1,400 people in Sweden and the UK about their views on truth. They were then asked to take a stand on various conspiracy theories, and rate the content of some nonsense sentences.
The researchers also collected information on factors such as the ability to reason analytically, political orientation, age, gender and level of education.
Their study, published in the Journal of Research in Personality under the intriguing title “Misperceptions in a Post-truth World: Effects of Subjectivism and Cultural Relativism on Bulls – – t Receptivity and Conspiracist Ideation,” reveals some interesting conclusions.
Conspiracy theories are easily accepted by people who trust their feelings over proven facts.Getty Images
People who believe the truth is subjective and individuals are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, and stick to their conspiracy beliefs even when faced with real-world evidence and facts that contradict their conspiracy theories.
People with a subjective worldview also have a greater tendency to find deep and meaningful messages in nonsense, such as “Hidden meaning transforms abstract beauty.”
And for people with cultural belief systems, cultural relativism has been found to be associated with “bull – – acceptance,” or the ability to accept “nonsense from someone trying to persuade or impress without caring about what’s right or wrong.”
People who adhere to cultural belief systems are more willing to accept nonsense from someone. Whale Media Stock – stock.adobe.com
The researchers believe their study has immediate relevance, especially as the US begins to enter another election cycle.
“[T]the results are useful when listening to political debates, such as those related to schooling. People may have different opinions about matters of fact, but behind this there may be fundamental disagreements about how the world works and what exists,” they wrote.
“I got the idea when I heard [political] the debate about whether students should learn factual knowledge or be encouraged to find out for themselves what they think is true,” Aspernäs said.
“It sounds like the discussants have completely opposite assumptions about truth and think that their own approach is the best way to help students become critical thinkers,” he added.
“[W]e observed that truth relativism appears to be associated with greater belief in misleading information. It might be important to remember that.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
