Chris Mooney: The Science of Why We Deny Science

[Alex]

The Science of Why We Deny Science: Motivated Reasoning
by Chris Mooney
April 18th, 2011
Discover magazine

"Consider a person who has heard about a scientific discovery that deeply challenges her belief in divine creation—a new hominid, say, that confirms our evolutionary origins. What happens next, explains political scientist Charles Taber of Stony Brook University, is a subconscious negative response to the new information—and that response, in turn, guides the type of memories and associations formed in the conscious mind. “They retrieve thoughts that are consistent with their previous beliefs,” says Taber, “and that will lead them to build an argument and challenge what they’re hearing.”

"In other words, when we think we’re reasoning, we may instead be rationalizing.  ..."



Alex's comment:

Chris Mooney writes (elsewhere):  We all know that people deny science and the facts constantly--on science based issues like climate change and evolution, but also on resolvable issues in politics: where was the president born? Does the health care reform create death panels? Did the stimulus bill create millions of jobs, only a few, or did it destroy jobs? Did Iraq have weapons of mass destruction? Moreover, we know that when faced with the facts, people don't change their minds or let go of false ideas--quite the contrary, they often believe them more strongly than before. Such facts are rightly disturbing to scientists and skeptics, but there's a reason why they occur--and indeed, thanks to new advances in psychology and neuroscience, they can be scientifically explained. The implications for communication, and for persuasion, are profound.

Mr. Mooney is a science and political journalist and commentator, author of three recent books, and a contributor to a wide variety of publications, including Wired, Science, Harper’s, Seed, New Scientist, Slate, Salon, Mother Jones, Legal Affairs, Reason, The American Scholar, The New Republic, The Washington Monthly, Columbia Journalism Review, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe.