Week 5 - Polarisation in society

Question 1

What are the two aspects of belief?

Answer 1

1. Reasoned component (evidence, explanation)
2. Intuitive component (it feels right, it all fits, it somehow happened).

It is also called “ dual-process theories of cognition”. Our brains engage in two ways of thinking intuitive thinking and reasoning.

Question 2

What were the three main findings of study by Harris, Sheth and Cohen’s in 2008?

Answer 2

1. Believing, not believing, and being uncertain are three distinct brain states.
2. Contrasts are independent of category: 3 brain states have distinctive features regardless of the nature of the belief statement.
3. Brain state of believing is much closer to the default state (resting network state) than disbelieving. Disbelieving requires more cognitive load to override the default state.

Question 3

What are the 2 findings in Christian vs atheist studies of neuroimaging?

Answer 3

1. Belief states are independent of the type of believer.

2. Correctness o a belief is not to be found in the brain.

Question 4

What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 4

Bewilderment and confusion that our brains strain to resolve. State of discomfort and distress when our beliefs are challenged. In particular beliefs that we are good, kind, competent.

Question 5

How metacognition influences the way we reappraise the beliefs?

Answer 5

Having more radical beliefs is associated with impairment in metacognition.

Question 6

What are the four dimesions of disagreement about climate change?

Answer 6

1. whether it is happening or not
2. whether it is a man made or not
3. how serious threat it poses
4. what we should do about it?

Question 7

Describe two thinking styles (intuition and reasoning)

Answer 7

Intuitive thinking: automatic and experiential (differs from person to person)
Reasoning: controlled and analytical

Question 8

What is social attribution?

Answer 8

Our brains automatically assign intentions, emotions, character traits and meanings to other creatures. It allows for cooperation to be successful (Evolutionary trait ) and judgement for whom to trust.