backfire effect
Disproof backfires psychologically
The backfire effect is a psychological phenomenon where people strengthen their beliefs when confronted with contradictory evidence.
Rather than updating their views, they dig in deeper: Showing him the fact-check only triggered the backfire effect—he believed the conspiracy theory even more strongly afterward.
The term comes from cognitive science research on motivated reasoning.
- motivated reasoningBiased cognition favoring preferences
- doubling downStrengthening a risky commitment
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- digging inEstablishing a defensive position
- reactanceOpposition to alternating current
identity protection · tribal loyalty · counterarguments · misinformation · fake news · fact checking · confirmation bias · polarization · persuasion techniques · groupthink · echo chambers · shooting the messenger · media influence · cognitive dissonance · self-serving bias · anchoring · negativity bias · essentialism
backfire effectpersuasion
Convincing through reasoning
attitude change · debiasing · concession · epistemic humility
backfire effectopen-mindedness
Acceptance of differing viewpoints
receptivity · intellectual humility · truth-seeking · teachability · mental flexibility
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