Posts
How to Overcome Resistance and Biased Thinking by Reinforcing Autonomy
September 5, 2014
Reinforcing people’s autonomy is an invaluable approach for overcoming biased thinking, rigid attitudes, and defensiveness. Whenever people feel that their autonomy is respected and that they are free to do as they want, they are less likely to experience reactance and show resistance. Conversely, people resist any attempts to change their minds whenever they feel
Read more: How to Overcome Resistance and Biased Thinking by Reinforcing AutonomyTo More Effectively Debunk Falsehoods, Stop Repeating Them (The Mere Exposure Effect)
July 7, 2014
One major mistake we often make when trying to debunk some false ideas or refute outright lies is repeating the falsehood. The more people are exposed to a certain idea, piece of information, or other stimulus, the more positive attitudes they are likely to develop toward it and be influenced by it, even if it
Read more: To More Effectively Debunk Falsehoods, Stop Repeating Them (The Mere Exposure Effect)How Self-Affirmation Technique Can Counter Bias and Indoctrination
May 6, 2014
Self-Affirmation Technique in a Nutshell Self-affirmation technique is invaluable when dealing with political bias, indoctrination, or issues requiring open-mindedness. It’s particularly effective when people show ego-defensiveness about their beliefs. The basic idea behind the self-affirmation technique is that before you challenge any of your audience’s strong attitudes and deep-rooted beliefs that will provoke their ego-defensiveness,
Read more: How Self-Affirmation Technique Can Counter Bias and IndoctrinationCountering Misinformation and Inflated Truthiness with Photos
March 4, 2014
One way that misinformation and disinformation often gains hold is through photos and other visuals. Accordingly, attempts to debunk misinformation should preferably also use visuals as a corrective. There is a reason why photos and other visuals work both as a means of misinformation and as a means of countering it — visuals are essentially
Read more: Countering Misinformation and Inflated Truthiness with PhotosWhy Feelings of Power Make It More Difficult to Refute Misinformation or Change Biased Views
January 9, 2014
When you’re refuting misinformation or when you’re trying to counter biased thinking and indoctrination, you normally want people to think carefully and deeply about your reasons. To increase chances of that, avoid occasions when people feel powerful because feelings of power reduce careful thinking and decrease chances that people will be persuaded by strong arguments.
Read more: Why Feelings of Power Make It More Difficult to Refute Misinformation or Change Biased ViewsUsing Causal Arguments to Counteract Biased Views and Debunk Misinformation
December 2, 2013
Causal arguments are one of the more effective approaches that we can use when we want to change false beliefs, ingrained but biased views, or when debunking all sorts of misinformation. Causal arguments inform us about the underlying mechanisms and explain why something happens. They are persuasive because they target one of our fundamental needs
Read more: Using Causal Arguments to Counteract Biased Views and Debunk MisinformationHow to Persuasively Refute False Claims with Concealed Weapons Tactic
September 24, 2012
The concealed weapons tactic is an effective argumentation technique, particularly useful for a surprise attack in a debate. It is a somewhat deceptive tactic, but it can be ethically used as a counter-tactic against blatant disinformation, bad-faith arguments, and other deceptive practices. To explain how it works, let’s say you’re arguing with climate change deniers. They
Read more: How to Persuasively Refute False Claims with Concealed Weapons TacticHow to Deter Lying by Redirecting It into Anger
August 7, 2012
Anger is one of the most potent emotions. In Aristotle’s Rhetoric, anger comes first, followed by other emotions that can be used in attempts to persuade people. If properly and ethically channeled, anger can be a great countermeasure against lying and disinformation. In particular, anger can be effectively used to deter lying and other blatant manipulative
Read more: How to Deter Lying by Redirecting It into AngerUsing Unexpectedness to Challenge Biased Views and Ingrained Attitudes
August 6, 2012
Unexpectedness can enhance overall persuasiveness of your ideas and arguments. But it is in particular very useful when you want to overcome biased views or more ingrained attitudes and stereotypes. Anwar Sadat’s Unexpected Move in Egyptian Israeli Peace Talks One example of how unexpectedness can help comes from the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty negotiations. Israel considered
Read more: Using Unexpectedness to Challenge Biased Views and Ingrained AttitudesPresent Your Evidence Gradually for More Persuasive Debunking
May 1, 2012
When you’re trying to debunk some false claim or persuasively refute a particular argument, you’ll be more effective if you don’t present your evidence all at once. Instead, try to do it more gradually. A 2011 study found that people find evidence to be stronger when it is presented one at a time. The researchers,
Read more: Present Your Evidence Gradually for More Persuasive Debunking