Science and Belief: Why does misinformation stick?

Science North Science Cafés

Most people, at the core, believe themselves to be rational beings. But when you dig down into the psychology of belief, most of us believe things that we have no scientific support for, or hold on to beliefs that we know have been disproven. Why does misinformation stick, and what are the consequences of these mistaken beliefs? As a society, why should we care if people believe things that can be disproven? And at the end of the day, what can we do to make our own belief systems more based in fact?

Panelists included:

Charles Ramcharan
PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biology and Cooperative Freshwater Biology Unit, Laurentian University

Chantal Barriault
MSc, Co-Director, Science Communication Graduate Program, Laurentian University

Michael Emond
PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Laurentian University

Moderator: Dana Murchison
Staff Scientist, Science North