Category Archives: About Belief
What’s More Potent, Testosterone or the Power of Belief?
When most people think of testosterone, words like “aggression,” “dominance,” and “violence” usually come to mind. Those words are memetically linked with testosterone the way “expensive” is linked with diamonds, and most of us have adopted the linkage without thinking much about … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Research
When it Comes to Trusting Authority, Moral Conviction and Religiosity Part Ways
One of the consistent elements in political discussions is the influence of religious belief on attitudes toward government. And typically it’s assumed that a high degree of religiosity is synonymous with a high degree of moral conviction – they’re popularly … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Morality, About Religion, About Research
What Enemas and Demonic Possession Have to Do with Developing False Beliefs
If there’s anything that cognitive psychology studies have made clear over the years, it’s that humans can be exceptionally gullible. With a little push, we’re prone to developing false beliefs not only about others, but about ourselves with equal prowess — and the … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Research
What Might Make You Trust a Stranger?
by David DiSalvo It comes as no surprise that people tend to prefer others of the same in-group. If you’re a diehard supporter of a political candidate and someone drives by with a bumper sticker endorsing the candidate, you feel a … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Perception, About Research
To Esteem Thyself, Or Not
If anyone was asked to list the top 10 topics that ignite arguments, I doubt very much that ‘self esteem’ would make the cut. And yet, this seemingly bland, bordering-on-clichéd topic is in fact the source of many battles. Too … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Research, Books and Ideas
Kluge on the Brain: An Interview with Author Gary Marcus
If you’ve ever wondered why your mind seems to fail at the wrong times despite every earnest attempt to get everything right, or why following the most touted self-help program to a perfect T still doesn’t yield results as advertised - it’s … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Neuroscience, Interviews
Jonathan Haidt on the Moral Roots of Ideology
Jonathan Haidt, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of The Happiness Hypothesis, wrote a provocative article for Edge not long ago about the moral roots of ideology, which garnered some notable responses. The article and responses are … Continue reading
Filed under About Belief, About Morality, Videos
David DiSalvo is a science, technology and culture writer whose work appears in Scientific American Mind, Psychology Today and a variety of other places.
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