Why do people come to reject climate science or the safety and efficacy of vaccines, in
defiance of the scientific consensus? A popular view explains bad beliefs like these as …

Confirmation bias is one of the most widely discussed epistemically problematic cognitions,
challenging reliable belief formation and the correction of inaccurate views. Given its …

Rationalization occurs when a person has performed an action and then concocts the
beliefs and desires that would have made it rational. Then, people often adjust their own …

I clarify and defend the hypothesis that human belief formation is sensitive to social rewards
and punishments, such that beliefs are sometimes formed based on unconscious …

Science's role in society is being threatened, as misinterpretation and denial of scientific
evidence and the rejection or ignorance of scientific expertise are gaining prominence. This …

Philosophical tradition and conspiracy theorists converge in suggesting that ordinary people
ought to do their own research, rather than accept the word of others. In this paper, I argue …

Public support for responses to the coronavirus pandemic has sharply diverged on partisan
lines in many countries, with conservatives tending to oppose lockdowns, social distancing …

In nearly every documented society, people believe that some misfortunes are caused by
malicious group mates using magic or supernatural powers. Here I report cross-cultural …

People tend to evaluate information from reliable sources more favourably, but it is unclear
exactly how perceivers' worldviews interact with this source credibility effect. In a large and …

When the costs of acquiring knowledge outweigh the benefits of possessing it, ignorance is
rational. In this paper I clarify and explore a related but more neglected phenomenon: cases …