… What is it that leads a substantial proportion of Americans to accept a claim with no solid evidence and plenty of available refutation? …
In our study, we were interested in two specific factors that might lead people to accept claims that Barack Obama was born overseas: partisanship and racial prejudice. Specifically, we assessed whether conservative Republicans and individuals who held anti-Black sentiments would be more likely to accept the birther narrative than other Americans. And whether, in line with notions of motivated reasoning, they might be expected to accept these claims because they disliked the president. CONT.
Josh Pasek (U. of Michigan), USAPP