New information does not automatically lead to people changing their beliefs. Research from psychology and political science shows that information alone is not sufficient, especially when the issue at hand is related to one’s identity or ideology.
Motivated reasoning is how people process information that supports their pre-existing beliefs. People tend to accept information that supports their pre-existing beliefs, but reject information that contradicts them. This is because of how the human mind works.
People’s beliefs are also closely associated with their identity, including things like political party affiliation, religion, social group membership, and other group affiliations. When information actually challenges a belief linked to someone’s identity, the experience of receiving such information can become very personal. Studies have suggested that such challenges elicit emotional responses, making people more defensive and less likely to change their beliefs.
There is also something called confirmation bias, which is people’s tendency to absorb information based on what they’re looking for. Confirmation bias essentially plays a role in how people receive information. It has been noted that people are more prone to information that supports their pre-existing beliefs and are more likely to forget information that does not. In today’s digital age, these biases can get stronger because of the algorithms that manage personalized news feeds and online platforms show people content that matches what they already believe, promoting closed-mindedness.
Facts that do not change our minds have become more evident in recent years as misinformation is spreading faster than ever through social media and other online platforms. Debates over things like public health, war, climate change, immigration policy, and school curriculum show that people who are given the same factual information may draw different conclusions that are significantly different from one another. Researchers suggest that this isn’t because of ignorance, which may be preconceived. It’s how people bring information through their own identity and prior beliefs. As these conflicts continue to be facilitated by social media, the persistence of differing views speaks to a larger reality: access to information does not instantly lead to consensus. Research suggests that belief formation is influenced equally by identity, affect, and life experiences. Information abundance in this era of differing trust may not be the problem; rather, understanding how this information is consumed may be the real challenge.
