Understanding (and responding to) scepticism about science (2015-2017)
Abstract
Many people hold beliefs that defy scientific consensus. A standard response when a scientist faces resistance to an evidence-based message is to keep explaining the evidence as clearly and thoroughly as possible (explication). We argue that explication fails because people are motivated to hold on to nonscientific beliefs for reasons other than the motivation to find the truth. We propose qualitative and quantitative techniques to identify these hidden motivations. We then use these insights to test psychologically tailored interventions designed to interrupt or circumnavigate these underlying motives, with the goal of promoting environmental responsibility and population health.
