Gut feeling leads to conspiracy theories: A new study on how intuition affects us

Using your own gut feeling to decide what's true or false can lead you to believe in conspiracy theories. 

While it's still extremely useful to listen to your intuition, it can also create some troubles for you.

Let's find out how and why it happens.

A surprising study

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden found this after studying how people's beliefs about truth relate to their susceptibility to false information.

They discovered that people who think truth is subjective, meaning what they personally feel is true, are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. 

These folks also tend to stick to their beliefs even when confronted with contradictory facts and are more prone to finding deep meaning in nonsense sentences.

In contrast, those who believe truth depends on one's culture or group (cultural relativism) didn't show such strong connections with conspiracy theories.

Surprisingly, the research also showed that those who think truth is personal (subjectivism) can sometimes be close-minded or dogmatic, rejecting others' perspectives.

Why it's important

These findings are important in understanding political debates, like those about education. 

Different opinions can stem from fundamental disagreements about how we see the world and what we consider as truth. So, it's crucial to consider these beliefs when discussing important issues.
 

• Related news:
• research
• intuition
• 14 September 2023

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