Fake news, alt facts, and the backfire effect: the science of changing someone’s mind - Brian...

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OMG THE BACKFIRE EFFECT!

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WHAT IS IT? It’s a cognitive quirk that not only

rejects facts that contradict our core beliefs, but STRENGTHENS those core

beliefs despite the facts.

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Example: Immunization"

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Example: Warehouse Fire"

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WHY? Because cooperation and tribal

identity is hard to build. Evolution has made it resilient.

We don’t want to be different from our

tribe. f

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WHY? Because what we think of as our

reasoning brain is usually more like a politician than a scientist. "

"We embrace facts that back up our

opinions, reject facts that might change them.

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WHY? Because our IDENTITY is tied to

our deeper beliefs.""

We don’t change who we are lightly.

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WHY? Climate Deniers aren’t the

only ones that do it.

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“The facts are so clear, Brexit will clearly not win a majority

referendum.”""

“The facts are so clear, Donald Trump can’t possibly win.”

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In fact, we ALL do it.

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Some of our organisations, and some of us in this room, have an irrational emotional attachment to rationality. "

"We ignore the facts of persuasion

science that facts don’t win, and keep running fact-based campaigns.

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In fact, this presentation is a fact-based effort to try to

persuade you.

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I’m doomed.

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Ways to Avoid the Backfire Effect

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Abandon the “Information deficit model”.

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Focus on the undecideds, not the skeptics.

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Join with someone who disagrees with you in a joint attempt to solve a mystery.

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Adjust your framing & vocabulary to avoid triggers*.

* “Environment” is a dirty word

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Change behaviour to change opinion, not the other way around.

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Make someone feel GREAT about their values. Take Identity off the table.

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Don’t mention the myth you’re trying to debunk, only the fact you’re trying to plant.

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Don’t overkill. If one fact is enough, two might completely undermine your case.

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Replace the table leg you are taking away.

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Don’t use fact at all. Avoid talking to the head. Talk to the heart. Trigger someone’s values with a STORY.

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Sources & More: •  The You Are Not So Smart Podcast •  The Righteous Mind: Jonathan Haidt •  The Debunker’s Handbook: J. Cook, S. Lewandowsky •  Don’t Think About an Elephant: George Lakoff •  The Political Brain: Drew Westen

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Brian Fitzgerald Tommy Crawford www.dancing-fox.com misterfox@dancing-fox.com

Let’s get better at making a more beautiful world.