Thursday, September 20, 2012

Misinformation: Why it sticks and how to fix it

Misinformation: Why it sticks and how to fix it: Childhood vaccines do not cause autism. Barack Obama was born in the United States. Global warming is confirmed by science. And yet, many people believe claims to the contrary. Why does that kind of misinformation stick? A new report explores this phenomenon, highlighting the cognitive factors that make certain pieces of misinformation so "sticky" and identifying techniques that may be effective in debunking erroneous beliefs.

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