Tue, 11 Jul
|Online Lecture
Hugo Mercier (CNRS, Paris)
Hugo Mercier is a Senior Research Scientist at the Institut Jean Nicod. His work focuses on two main topics: the function and workings of reasoning and how we evaluate communicated information.
TIME & LOCATION
11 Jul 2023, 16:00 – 18:00 CEST
Online Lecture
ABOUT THE EVENT
Title
Not born Yesterday: Why Humans Are Less Gullible than We Think
Abstract
It is often thought that humans are gullible, easily manipulated by demagogues, advertisers, and politicians. I will argue that the opposite is true: humans are equipped with a set of psychological mechanisms that allow them to properly evaluate communicated information, and to reject information that is false or harmful. I will rely on experimental psychology data, as well as studies showing the failures of mass persuasion, from Nazi propaganda to American presidential campaigns. I will also suggest that, when people do accept false beliefs, they often do so only in a superficial manner.
Zoom meeting ID: 614 8076 0079
Zoom passcode: CEN23