Belief Perseverance: An Understated Variable in Human Affairs?
Abstract
To properly perceive reality, human beings are occasionally called upon to do much more than acquire new information. They must open-mindedly weigh information and, if need be, discard old beliefs and adopt new ones. In social settings, intellectual growth presupposes, in part, a series of conceptual shifts. Unfortunately, experimental psychology conclusively shows that human beings are disinclined to let go of strongly held beliefs.