Blog 3: "I Know The Truth, So Don' t Bother Me With Facts"

               "Humans are long been dupes, easily gulled by rumors and flat out lies." This statement from Jeffrey Kluger' s article tittled " I know the truth, So don' t bother me with facts" is very true. It was clearly demonstrated through a study done by researchers at Ohio State University. They wanted to prove "how sticky such false beliefs are and what it takes to disabuse people of them."

               The study centers on the ongoing debate over a proposed planned cultural center that will feature a culinary school, an auditorium, a restaurant, a library, a fitness center, a 9/11 memorial and most importantlly a mosque. There are a lot of mixed feelings towards the building of such center specially so because the one spear heading the project is Feisal Abdul Rauf, a muslim leader who raised eyebrows when he said that american involvement in wars in the arab world made the U.S. an accesory to the terrorist attack.

               In the new study, researchers recruited 750 people who have knowledge of the proposed cultural center and believing at least one of the rumors about it. Their main purpose is to find out wether differentiating evidence would change their opinion.

               The research starts of with all of the participants reading a written rebuttals of the rumors provided by Pulitzer Price winner St. Petersburg Time' s Politifact and Annenberg Public Policy Center' s FactCheck.org. But even after reading the material only 28 percent of the participants shunned the rumors compared to 35 percent who at least recognized  that ther was some weight to the new facts.

               More so , different scenarious conclude the studies. The subject were also shown a picture of Feisal Abdul Rauf alongside peolple in western style clothing. It was deemed that the participants "were likelier to reject the rumors than people who merely read the rebuttals." Garrett concluded that the picture "provided visual corroboration for the idea that Rauf is an american, just like the rest of us."

               In contrast, the subjects who read the rebuttals  and were shown the picture of Feisal Abdul Rauf in the midst of people wearing arab style dress "were less likely to reject the rumors." It is also true for the participants who read the rebuttals, and knew of Rauf' s insinuation that america is partially responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

               According to the study even with contradictory information, fewer than a third of the subject were willing to change where they stand on the issue. Researchers concluded that due to insinuating pictures or inflammatory quotes, the subjects opinion were easily compromised.

               "R. Kelly Garrett, one of the assistant professor who conducted the research further added that according to some studies, when subject are presented with data that contradicts their beliefs, they often paraduxically respond by clearing to their biases even mere tightly."  It is simply saying that ego got in the way. More so, some researches are trying to see how the pre-frontal cortex, the seat of reason, and the amygdala. The seat of fear and other primal emotions, reacts in such situations.

               In conclusion, Jeffrey Kluger reminded the readers that it is up to us to make our decisions and opinions when we are faced with valid facts. He proceeded in saying "we may not always agree on what those facts mean, but at a minimum we need to agree that they mean more than fantasy."