Your Brain Lies — Even To You
NEW YORK, USA, June 27, 2008: False beliefs are everywhere. Eighteen percent of Americans think the Sun revolves around the earth, one poll has found. The effort to correct misbeliefs may be more difficult than it seems, thanks to the quirky way in which our brains store memories — and mislead us along the way.
In one study, a group of Stanford students was exposed repeatedly to an unsubstantiated claim that Coca-Cola is an effective paint thinner. Students who read the statement repeatedly were nearly one-third more likely to attribute it to a credible source.
The secret to use your brain well, it seems, is open-mindedness. We tend to remember news that accords with our worldview, and discount statements that contradict it. In the same study, when subjects were asked to imagine their reaction if evidence pointed to the opposite conclusion, they were later more open-minded to information that contradicted their beliefs. Apparently, it pays for consumers of controversial news to take a moment and consider that the opposite interpretation may be true.
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