Scary Politics

… Rational decisions come from weighing the pros and cons of a policy. But when fear enters the equation, people give more weight and importance to some considerations than they actually deserve. Chapman University’s latest annual survey of American fears, which came out in mid-October, provides some insights. … Nearly […] Read more »

Why the views of ‘political experts’ may be just as biased and error ridden as those of ‘non-experts’

… Despite the largely uncritical acceptance of the concept of political expertise among political pundits, theorists, and political scientists, there is precious little evidence to support the claim that politically knowledgeable citizens form their opinions in a manner befitting the term “expertise.” In fact, when we have looked at the […] Read more »

The Persuasive Power of Repeated Falsehoods

Chances are you heard some blatantly untrue statements during last night’s debate. It’s a cynical, manipulative strategy, but it works: Psychological studies have consistently shown that oft-repeated statements are more likely to be perceived as true, regardless of their actual veracity. Since this “Illusory Truth Effect” was first noted in […] Read more »