Belief traps: Tackling the inertia of harmful beliefs

Abstract

Beliefs can be highly resilient in the sense that they are not easily abandoned in the face of counterevidence. This has the advantage of guiding consistent behavior and judgments but may also have destructive consequences for individuals, nature, and society. For instance, pathological beliefs can sustain psychiatric disorders, the belief that rhinoceros horn is an aphrodisiac may drive a species extinct, beliefs about gender or race may fuel discrimination, and belief in conspiracy theories can undermine democracy. Here, we present a unifying framework of how self-amplifying feedbacks shape the inertia of beliefs on levels ranging from neuronal networks to social systems. Sustained exposure to counterevidence can destabilize rigid beliefs but requires organized rational override as in cognitive behavioral therapy for pathological beliefs or institutional control of discrimination to reduce racial biases. Black-and-white thinking is a major risk factor for the formation of resilient beliefs associated with psychiatric disorders as well as prejudices and conspiracy thinking. Such dichotomous thinking is characteristic of a lack of cognitive resources, which may be exacerbated by stress. This could help explain why conspiracy thinking and psychiatric disorders tend to peak during crises. A corollary is that addressing social factors such as poverty, social cleavage, and lack of education may be the most effective way to prevent the emergence of rigid beliefs, and thus of problems ranging from psychiatric disorders to prejudices, conspiracy theories, and posttruth politics.

Modelling the Longitudinal Dynamics of Paranoia in Psychosis: A Temporal Network Analysis Over 20 Years

“…Referential and persecutory delusions in our model showed high centrality, autoregressive traits, and strong interrelationships, reflecting their strong influence in chronic psychosis. This may be conceptualised as an increase in the depth and resilience of their attractor basins within psychological state space, creating a self-perpetuating cycle (Scheffer et al, 2022). Causal factors in the maintenance and development of this dramatic shift in the belief landscape remain unclear, although may be further investigated with more clarity using the data model we present.…”

A Dynamical Systems View of Psychiatric Disorders—Theory

“…If we believe something, we tend to amplify evidence that confirms that belief, which in turn reinforces the belief. 18 Examples of effects of beliefs on perceived evidence are common among psychopathologies. For instance, in depression a belief like "I am a loser" may boost percep- tions that others talk about you as a loser behind your back, consistent with that belief.…”

Pathways to the persistence of drug use despite its adverse consequences

“…Core features are that valuation and action control can be intact but individuals differ in correct awareness of the consequences of their behavior as well as in their willingness to update beliefs in response to counterevidence. Progress in understanding may benefit from considering theoretical and computational advances in the mechanisms of belief updating [70][71][72][73] and their application to neuropsychiatric conditions [74][75][76]. This has identified key roles for dopamine [77] and a network of cortical regions involving dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and their interactions with medial prefrontal cortex [78,79].…”