Intellectual humility includes owning your own biases and the possibility that you’re wrong about your beliefs or worldview. It means being open to changing your mind in response to new information.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Beliefs
Displaying 1 - 20 of 52 articles
In rural Ghana, only 18% of patients believe elephantiasis is a disease. Some others think it is caused by curses or even rain. Only by understanding local beliefs can it be treated effectively.
Being open to the possibility you could be wrong about your beliefs is an important part of learning about the world. But this trait is not enough on its own.
People often privately feel uncomfortable about bad behavior they see around them but mistakenly believe their peers don’t share their concerns.
Investigating supernatural claims is a delicate task for the church, and Catholic leaders rarely label them as authentic.
We’ve spent ages learning about the people who think they’ve come from another planet, so you don’t have to.
We often assume misinformation leads to bad beliefs which lead to antisocial behaviour. But there’s so far little evidence for this.
A philosopher unpacks the ‘ethics of belief’ for an age awash in bad information.
The key to understanding online conspiracy theorists is to understand how the line between fantasy and reality can become blurred.
Views on death and the afterlife vary from person to person and culture to culture. This course gives US Air Force cadets a broad perspective on mortality and its effects on people and society.
Here are some reasons for the natural human tendency to avoid or reject new information that runs counter to what you already know – and some tips on how to do better.
Instead of complacent acceptance of misinformed beliefs, we need institutional moves to cultivate trust between experts and the public.
What is the appeal of cults? How do they work? And what is the damage they do? A new book, by the creator of the podcast Let’s Talk About Sects, answers these questions and more.
Crystals are part of a larger tradition of metaphysical religions that have a long history in the U.S.
Overcoming conspiracy theories isn’t just about information. A scholar of religion explains that the emotions they inspire are part of their appeal.
Critical thinking means seeking out new information – especially facts that might run contrary to what you believe – and being willing to change your mind. And it’s a teachable skill.
People tend to stick with their stated beliefs. But here’s how external forces like vaccine mandates can push people to do something they don’t want to do – and provide some face-saving cover.
‘Hustle culture’ is so pervasive in U.S. society that not even the coronavirus pandemic could shake the urge to prioritize productivity.
Science denial is not new, but researchers have learned a lot about it. Here’s why it exists, how everyone is susceptible to it in one way or another and steps to take to overcome it.
In both ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, reflected images were thought to hold mysterious powers. Damaging a mirror was believed to invite the wrath of the gods.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Cognitive and Parapsychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Professor of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross
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Associate Professor of Philosophy, Rochester Institute of Technology
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Professor Emeritus of Cognitive NeuroImaging, Aston University
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Research Fellow, Coventry University
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Research fellow at Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University
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Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Texas State University
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Dana and David Dornsife Professor of Psychology and Director of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Wollongong
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Assistant Professor of Psychology (Perception and Cognition), Indiana University
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Director of External Research for frank, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida
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Research Fellow, Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, Durham University
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PhD Candidate, Griffith University
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Senior Lecturer in Bioethics, Australian National University
