Giving Debiasing Away: Can Psychological Research on Correcting Cognitive Errors Promote Human Welfare?

Abstract

Despite Miller's (1969) now-famous clarion call to "give psychology away" to the general public, scientific psychology has done relatively little to combat festering problems of ideological extremism and both inter- and intragroup conflict. After proposing that ideological extremism is a significant contributor to world conflict and that confirmation bias and several related biases are significant contributors to ideological extremism, we raise a crucial scientific question: Can debiasing the general public against such biases promote human welfare by tempering ideological extremism? We review the knowns and unknowns of debiasing techniques against confirmation bias, examine potential barriers to their real-world efficacy, and delineate future directions for research on debiasing. We argue that research on combating extreme confirmation bias should be among psychological science's most pressing priorities.

Interactive effects of the probability of the cue and the probability of the outcome on the overestimation of null contingency

“…As has been discussed elsewhere, both biases have important implications for the study of everyday causal illusions and superstitions (e.g., Matute et al, 2011), as well as stereotype formation (e.g., Murphy, Schmeer, Vallée-Tourangeau, Mondragón, & Hilton, 2011). The knowledge obtained from studying overestimations of null contingency should, therefore, be of great value in the development of strategies to reduce the impact of irrationality in modern society (see, e.g., Lewandowsky, Ecker, Seifert, Schwarz, & Cook, 2012;Lilienfeld, Ammirati, & Landfield, 2009;Matute et al, 2011).…”

Concepts and implications of altruism bias and pathological altruism

“…Whoever takes it upon himself to write an honest intellectual history of twentieth-century Europe will need a strong stomach" (45). In fact, combating extreme confirmation bias has been called one of psychology's most pressing research priorities (46).…”

“…Research has shown the near impossibility of reaching biased individuals using rational approaches, no matter their level of education or intelligence; such attempts can be likened to squaring the circle (44,46).…”

What makes us think? A three-stage dual-process model of analytic engagement

“…To that end, it has been suggested that one of psychological science's most pressing goals should be to "give debiasing away" to the general public (Lilienfeld, Ammirati, & Landfield, 2009). …”