False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things that Aren't True
An illuminating exploration of the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of science denialism, political polarization, and rampant belief in misinformation and disinformation.

Microchips in our vaccines, stolen elections, climate change denial—in the face of a bewildering range of misbeliefs that stem from mistrust of informational sources, exposure to misinformation and disinformation, and partisan polarization, it's easy to dismiss those who disagree with us as "delusional", "psychotic", or merely "ignorant". But what if none of these judgments are supported by how we really come to believe things, and the truth is that we are all prone to false beliefs? What can we do to protect ourselves in this post-truth world?

Drawing on decades of experience as a psychiatrist and clinical professor, Joe Pierre invites readers to journey with him through the normal quirks of brain functioning—such as "heuristics", cognitive biases, motivated reasoning, cognitive dissonance, and bullshit receptivity—that create the cognitive vulnerabilities to false belief innate within us all. With a cross-disciplinary approach, False illuminates the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of contemporary media mistrust, science denialism, and political polarization, and highlights that contrary to popular opinion, deficits of intelligence and mental health are usually not to blame.

With a refreshingly unbiased lens, Pierre suggests an antidote to false beliefs and makes the case for softening our convictions, viewing our ideological opponents with compassion, and mending the rifts in our relationships as individuals and societies alike.
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False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things that Aren't True
An illuminating exploration of the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of science denialism, political polarization, and rampant belief in misinformation and disinformation.

Microchips in our vaccines, stolen elections, climate change denial—in the face of a bewildering range of misbeliefs that stem from mistrust of informational sources, exposure to misinformation and disinformation, and partisan polarization, it's easy to dismiss those who disagree with us as "delusional", "psychotic", or merely "ignorant". But what if none of these judgments are supported by how we really come to believe things, and the truth is that we are all prone to false beliefs? What can we do to protect ourselves in this post-truth world?

Drawing on decades of experience as a psychiatrist and clinical professor, Joe Pierre invites readers to journey with him through the normal quirks of brain functioning—such as "heuristics", cognitive biases, motivated reasoning, cognitive dissonance, and bullshit receptivity—that create the cognitive vulnerabilities to false belief innate within us all. With a cross-disciplinary approach, False illuminates the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of contemporary media mistrust, science denialism, and political polarization, and highlights that contrary to popular opinion, deficits of intelligence and mental health are usually not to blame.

With a refreshingly unbiased lens, Pierre suggests an antidote to false beliefs and makes the case for softening our convictions, viewing our ideological opponents with compassion, and mending the rifts in our relationships as individuals and societies alike.
29.99 In Stock
False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things that Aren't True

False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things that Aren't True

by Joe Pierre MD
False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things that Aren't True

False: How Mistrust, Disinformation, and Motivated Reasoning Make Us Believe Things that Aren't True

by Joe Pierre MD

Hardcover

$29.99 
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Overview

An illuminating exploration of the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of science denialism, political polarization, and rampant belief in misinformation and disinformation.

Microchips in our vaccines, stolen elections, climate change denial—in the face of a bewildering range of misbeliefs that stem from mistrust of informational sources, exposure to misinformation and disinformation, and partisan polarization, it's easy to dismiss those who disagree with us as "delusional", "psychotic", or merely "ignorant". But what if none of these judgments are supported by how we really come to believe things, and the truth is that we are all prone to false beliefs? What can we do to protect ourselves in this post-truth world?

Drawing on decades of experience as a psychiatrist and clinical professor, Joe Pierre invites readers to journey with him through the normal quirks of brain functioning—such as "heuristics", cognitive biases, motivated reasoning, cognitive dissonance, and bullshit receptivity—that create the cognitive vulnerabilities to false belief innate within us all. With a cross-disciplinary approach, False illuminates the psychology of false belief that lies at the root of contemporary media mistrust, science denialism, and political polarization, and highlights that contrary to popular opinion, deficits of intelligence and mental health are usually not to blame.

With a refreshingly unbiased lens, Pierre suggests an antidote to false beliefs and makes the case for softening our convictions, viewing our ideological opponents with compassion, and mending the rifts in our relationships as individuals and societies alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780197765272
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 03/03/2025
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 6.39(w) x 9.43(h) x 0.91(d)

About the Author

Joe Pierre MD is a Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. As a full-time clinician, he has extensive experience treating people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and substance-induced psychosis. His academic work focuses on the grey area between psychopathology and normality, with an emphasis on delusion-like beliefs including conspiracy theories. He also serves as an expert witness consultant in forensic cases involving the intersection of psychosis, religion, and ideological belief. He has been featured in over 100 news articles and media interviews, appearing in The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Slate, and the award-winning documentary Behind the Curve as well as on CNN, BBC, NPR, and VICE News. His blog Psych Unseen has attracted over 3 million views.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: Delusions, Distortions, and Misbeliefs, Oh My!
Chapter 2: The Psychology of Overconfidence
Chapter 3: Confirmation Bias on Steroids
Chapter 4: The Flea Market of Opinion
Chapter 5: The Disinformation Industrial Complex
Chapter 6: Conspiracy Theories Gone Wild
Chapter 7: Falling for Bullshit
Chapter 8: Divided States
Chapter 9: We Are Not Our Beliefs
Chapter 10: A Prescription for a Post-Truth World
Bibliography
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