Trending...
- The World's First Fully Regenerative Economy: Securing Energy, Food, and a Clean Planet
- NEW MANAGEMENT BOOK: Creating a Joy-Centric Culture
- Why We're Holding the Line on Pricing
A Pittsburgh-based research institute, CIRCE, has published a peer-reviewed study showing that human minds have quirky information "immune systems."
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A potentially groundbreaking study may explain why people vary so greatly in their vulnerability to fake news, conspiracy theories, and radicalization.
A paper in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology advances a novel scientific theory about the human mind: that it has an evolved information "immune system" that can be made to function well or poorly.
Mental Immune Systems Theory, or MIST, posits cognitive defenses that function to screen out disruptive information, though sometimes in counterproductive ways. The theory offers explanations of several striking features of human psychology, among them our susceptibility to identity-protective cognition, confirmation bias, and hyper-partisan reasoning.
The article builds on decades of research showing that minds can be inoculated against later-arriving information, just as our bodies can be inoculated against later-arriving pathogens.
According to the theory, natural selection built antibody-generating defenses for the mind, just as it did for the body, and doubts are quite literally the antibodies of the mind. And just as exposure can help our bodies develop broad-spectrum immunity to problematic germs, exposure can help our minds develop broad-spectrum immunity to certain types of problematic misinformation: conspiracy theories, say, or propaganda.
More on The PennZone
Titled "Do Minds Have Immune Systems?," the paper answers its titular question with a qualified "Very probably, yes." The paper was co-authored by Andy Norman, author of Mental Immunity, Sander van der Linden, author of Foolproof and professor of psychology at Cambridge University, and Luke Johnson, the Operations Director for CIRCE. CIRCE, founded by Norman, is a think-tank dedicated to advancing and applying the science of immunity to misinformation.1
"We make the case that the mind likely has an immune system of its own," said van der Linden. "We also lay out a research agenda for verifying this theory empirically. Such work could have major implications for a world awash in misinformation," he added.
The theory builds on research initiated in the 1960s by William McGuire, an American social psychologist. McGuire showed that minds can be made resistant to untruths and information manipulation via strategic, pre-emptive "prebunking." For example, you can inoculate people against emotional manipulation by exposing them to harmless examples and discussing how they work.
McGuire's "inoculation theory" inspired hundreds of studies documenting the inoculability of the human mind. Van der Linden leads a new generation of inoculation theorists applying these findings to our world's mis- and disinformation problems.2
"The significance of our finding becomes clearer in historical context," said Norman. "Naming the body's immune system created a foundation for immunology, and this led to great advances in disease prevention. We think that naming the mind's immune system will lead to comparable advances – and help prevent harmful infodemics."3
More on The PennZone
"Imagine a world where we've puzzled out how the most capable minds filter out misinformation," continued Norman; "A world where preemptive exposure to troublesome ideas prevents the worst outbreaks of cognitive contagion. What if we could inoculate future generations against extremism, hate, and violence?"
"The idea of having a mental immune system ought to be empowering," added Johnson. "Developing this field of research could lead to major improvements in science education and prevent the spread of maladaptive thinking patterns."
"The paper puts the science of mental immunity on a solid conceptual and empirical foundation," said Norman. "Cognitive immunology is off and running."
Contact:
Andy Norman
412-759-8414
[email protected]
SOURCE CIRCE
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A potentially groundbreaking study may explain why people vary so greatly in their vulnerability to fake news, conspiracy theories, and radicalization.
A paper in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology advances a novel scientific theory about the human mind: that it has an evolved information "immune system" that can be made to function well or poorly.
Mental Immune Systems Theory, or MIST, posits cognitive defenses that function to screen out disruptive information, though sometimes in counterproductive ways. The theory offers explanations of several striking features of human psychology, among them our susceptibility to identity-protective cognition, confirmation bias, and hyper-partisan reasoning.
The article builds on decades of research showing that minds can be inoculated against later-arriving information, just as our bodies can be inoculated against later-arriving pathogens.
According to the theory, natural selection built antibody-generating defenses for the mind, just as it did for the body, and doubts are quite literally the antibodies of the mind. And just as exposure can help our bodies develop broad-spectrum immunity to problematic germs, exposure can help our minds develop broad-spectrum immunity to certain types of problematic misinformation: conspiracy theories, say, or propaganda.
More on The PennZone
- Dr. Nadene Rose Shares the Secret to True Success: Faith, Obedience, and Divine Purpose
- Best Companies Group Opens Free Registration for Best Places to Work in Insurance Program
- Understanding Unexpected Death: Why Independent Autopsies Matter in Cases Without Clear Cause
- Epic Pictures Group Sets North American Release Date for the Thriller NO ORDINARY HEIST
- Mobile Copywriter Celebrates 13 Years of Content Creation and SEO Services
Titled "Do Minds Have Immune Systems?," the paper answers its titular question with a qualified "Very probably, yes." The paper was co-authored by Andy Norman, author of Mental Immunity, Sander van der Linden, author of Foolproof and professor of psychology at Cambridge University, and Luke Johnson, the Operations Director for CIRCE. CIRCE, founded by Norman, is a think-tank dedicated to advancing and applying the science of immunity to misinformation.1
"We make the case that the mind likely has an immune system of its own," said van der Linden. "We also lay out a research agenda for verifying this theory empirically. Such work could have major implications for a world awash in misinformation," he added.
The theory builds on research initiated in the 1960s by William McGuire, an American social psychologist. McGuire showed that minds can be made resistant to untruths and information manipulation via strategic, pre-emptive "prebunking." For example, you can inoculate people against emotional manipulation by exposing them to harmless examples and discussing how they work.
McGuire's "inoculation theory" inspired hundreds of studies documenting the inoculability of the human mind. Van der Linden leads a new generation of inoculation theorists applying these findings to our world's mis- and disinformation problems.2
"The significance of our finding becomes clearer in historical context," said Norman. "Naming the body's immune system created a foundation for immunology, and this led to great advances in disease prevention. We think that naming the mind's immune system will lead to comparable advances – and help prevent harmful infodemics."3
More on The PennZone
- Award-Winning REALTOR® Paige Coker Joins Corcoran DeRonja Real Estate
- Over 98% of crypto owners globally don't declare taxes, new report find
- Happreneurs™ Business Community Launches Pittsburgh, PA Chapter with Powerful Network of Founding Leaders
- TicTac Group acquires French EdTech company Distrisoft
- Rhys-Davies, Wright, Norris, Jacinto Highlight Latest Wave of FAN EXPO Philadelphia Celebrity Guests
"Imagine a world where we've puzzled out how the most capable minds filter out misinformation," continued Norman; "A world where preemptive exposure to troublesome ideas prevents the worst outbreaks of cognitive contagion. What if we could inoculate future generations against extremism, hate, and violence?"
"The idea of having a mental immune system ought to be empowering," added Johnson. "Developing this field of research could lead to major improvements in science education and prevent the spread of maladaptive thinking patterns."
"The paper puts the science of mental immunity on a solid conceptual and empirical foundation," said Norman. "Cognitive immunology is off and running."
1 About CIRCE 2 Sander Van Der Linden - Google Scholar 3 https://www.growkudos.com/publications/10.1037%25252Fteo0000297/reader |
Contact:
Andy Norman
412-759-8414
[email protected]
SOURCE CIRCE
Filed Under: Business
0 Comments
Latest on The PennZone
- Meet Joseph Neibich aka Joseph Nybyk of Beachwood Canyon
- LARUS Launches Business Continuity Framework for IPv4-Dependent Networks
- KeysCaribbean Offers 'Skip-the-Crowds' Savings With 15 Percent Off April Stays
- Supply & Demand Chain Executive Names Puga Sankara as Recipient of 2026 Pros to Know Award
- Why We're Holding the Line on Pricing
- Moravian Academy Announces New Full-Tuition Impact Scholarship for Upper School Students
- AI Disruption Meets Marine Scale: Off The Hook YS, Inc. (N Y S E American: OTH) Targets Breakout Growth with NextBoat Launch and Aggressive Expansion
- Targeting the Billion-Dollar U.S. Countermeasure Market With AI-Driven Biodefense Platform: Lunai Bioworks (N A S D A Q: LNAI)
- National Focus Turns to Global Conflict, Families of Veterans Lost to Suicide Call for Recognition
- New Global Standard for Transparency Across Critical Resources and Energy Markets: SMX (Security Matters) PLC (N A S D A Q: SMX)
- Forced Psychiatric Hospitalization Fails Vulnerable People: CCHR Urges Repeal Amid Rising U.S. Policies
- Surging Into High-Performance AI With $AMD Partnership, Patent Expansion, and Strengthened Balance Sheet: Avalon GloboCare Corp. (N A S D A Q: ALBT)
- ATTAIN Profiles the Invisible Billionaire Who Started With $75 and Died the Richest Man in A
- Kiko Nation Launches Mobile App to Modernize Livestock Management and Digital Animal Registry
- NEW MANAGEMENT BOOK: Creating a Joy-Centric Culture
- QuickTrack by Datalex Transforms Retail Promoter Management with Claude AI and Real-Time Insights
- Kaltra Introduces Seasonal Discounts on Replacement Coils for Carrier, York, and Trane Chillers
- Evolve Construction Mobilizes Commercial Storm Response Across Illinois With AI-Powered Damage Documentation and Public Adjusters Partnership
- New Book Synthesizes Six Peer-Reviewed Research Programs Into Unified Framework for Consciousness
- The World's First Fully Regenerative Economy: Securing Energy, Food, and a Clean Planet