Overcoming Knowledge Resistance: A Systematic Review of Experimental Studies

Abstract

Research shows that our reasoning often is motivated by desires to view the world as we want it to be, and that such motivated reasoning is an important factor behind knowledge resistance. In the current chapter, we review research examining cures for knowledge resistance, specifically for the rebuttal of available facts based on the best evidence. The review included 26 studies reported in 17 papers. The results indicate that there are techniques that to some extent can reduce knowledge resistance. A consistent finding was that people are more open to fact messages framed to be compatible with their worldview or expressed in gain rather than loss terms. Prompting a focus on messages’ explanatory power also decreases the rejection of facts that are in opposition with an individual's motivations. Other techniques show promising results but need to be explored further. In sum, the results suggest a set of strategies to counter biased reasoning, some of which should be possible to use in applied communication contexts. However, further experimental research on this topic using is warranted to replicate and extend current findings.

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