Preconceived Notions

I was at a scientific conference recently, and one of the presenters was a sociologist. This is not usually my brand of science, but sometimes it’s a good thing to get pushed out of your comfort zone. This researcher was conducting surveys to see what public perceptions were on certain scientific issues. His research showed that when people have a preconceived notion on an issue, and they encounter information that challenges what they think they know already, they seek out information from their trusted sources that will counter the information that challenged what they believed. This is not a new idea. The technical term for this is confirmation bias. It’s sometimes compared to having a little person in your head, telling you how right you are all the time. The Internet has made this even easier for all of us to do.

This mental filter can apply itself in strange ways. Here’s an example, and I’ve had this happen to me. You decide that you’re going to buy a new car. Finally, after agonizing thought, you decide on a Pontiac Fiero. The next day your thoughts are consumed with this beautiful automobile. On your drive in to work, you see no fewer than ten Pontiac Fieros. You had no idea before that moment that so many people drove them, and you decide that it must be an exceptionally fine vehicle. You congratulate yourself for being so clever.

This works with all facets of our world. If you identify yourself as a Republican, you most likely prefer Fox News and conservative pundits, and the “liberal media” makes you want to puke. If you identify yourself as a Democrat, more likely you like public radio better, and Jon Stewart is the funniest guy since Shecky Green. The news presented on these outlets is catered to the filter you’ve already built. They’re giving you your very own Pontiac Fiero news. The sad thing is that the overwhelming majority of Americans are in the center. If you think carefully about it with an open mind, there are ideas from both sides of the aisle that appeal to you. The biggest problem is that the extreme ideas on either side of the spectrum are usually shouted the loudest, and our own confirmation bias has us returning to these extremists for information which can be misleading. Most likely it’s not completely fabricated, but it has been filtered.

I’m not trying to talk you out of your favorite news program. Given what the research shows, if somebody starts ripping one side or the other, you’ll figure out why they're wrong all by yourself anyway. What I’m hoping is that the silent majority is sitting there in their living rooms and can see the polarization for what it really is: a gimmick by people with their own agendas to build upon their own power. The only way that problems get solved is when people, often with very different viewpoints, work together. When one side professes to have all the answers, that is when you need to be most suspicious.

Finding common ground and compromise are the only way that the solutions to the biggest problems can ever be found. No matter what kind of car you drive.