MADE UP MINDS The Role of Brain Processes

MADE UP MINDS! The Role of Brain Processes in Partisan Politics

Intro and Warm Up • Form the movie – “political process is all about trust…”? – 2 ways Dickins v. Gulliani illustrates party differences? – The point of the Jim Jeffries mini-story? – Subpoenas? – No parties = confused voters? ? – No parties = inefficient and ineffective governing?

When Facts Meet Cultic Belief • Example of the 1954 Cult and the “end of the world” • Doubling down on belief – Evangelizing and proselytizing – Saving the world • Having lost everything, they believed all the more. . .

The Lessons of brain science 1 • Familiarize yourself with your new assignment 2 • “motiviated reasoning” 3 • continued polarization

The Theory of Motivated Reasoning • Reasoning and emotions – Affect • Inseperable AND quicker than conscious thought – Fight or flight applied to data

Reasoning and Rationalization • “May be justifying our prior emotions” • Ends are fixed, reasoning is to reach this predermined end. • Two examples of biases: – Confirmation bias – Disconfirmation bias

Science and Rationality • The nature of science is to contend, to challenge the established paradigm, conclusion. • How does this feed bias? • Example of the vaccine denial debate – Irrefutable belief systems – Own media

The BIG Take Away • We all wear blinders in some situations • What can be done? • Present new information in a context that doesn’t trigger a defensive, emotional reaction. • Leading with values to give data a fighting chance!