November 2010 PMID 20943939

When in doubt, shout! paradoxical influences of doubt on proselytizing.

David Gal, Derek D Rucker

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Mentions

22
Peak: 3 in Mar 2024
across 5 sources since Jan 2019

Extended reach

20,299
potential audience

Total likes

34

Video views

426

Mentions per month

Jan 2019 – Apr 2024

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter8 posts
  • Blogs6 articles
  • News4 articles
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Reddit2 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The overall discussion demonstrates a fascination with how doubt influences belief advocacy, exemplified by references to experiments and phenomena like cognitive dissonance, such as 'people doubling down' on their beliefs when challenged. The tone combines analytical curiosity with recognition of the real-world importance of these ideas, emphasizing the paradoxical effect of doubt on proselytizing.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most posts acknowledge or support the core idea that doubt can increase proselytizing, referencing the paradoxical influence discussed in the publication.

InterestHigh interest

Posts show high curiosity about the topic, especially referencing experiments and research in cognitive dissonance and belief perseverance, indicating strong interest.

EngagementHigh engagement

Users actively connect the article's concepts to real debates about argumentation and human behavior, with references to specific phenomena like doubling down on beliefs and cognitive dissonance.

ImpactModerate impact

Discussions highlight the relevance of these findings to understanding social discussions and persuasive strategies, suggesting a moderate but meaningful influence on how beliefs are promoted.

Abstract in brief

  • The study explores how doubt affects people's tendency to promote their beliefs, building on Festinger's famous case where disconfirming religious evidence actually increased proselytizing.
  • Through three experiments, the researchers found that when people's confidence in beliefs is shaken, they tend to advocate more, especially if they haven't reaffirmed those beliefs or if the belief is highly important to them.
  • The findings suggest that doubt can paradoxically motivate individuals to promote their beliefs more actively, influenced by factors like message openness and personal importance, offering new perspectives on why people advocate for their beliefs.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
André Spicer
@andre_spicer · X

When people's deeply held beliefs are undermined, they tend to engage in more prosletizing about those beliefs. Experiment https://t.co/NXK4Qfx0l2

Jan 8, 2019 · 5 likes · 1 share · 15,122 followers View post →
David Christmas
@dchristmas · X

Is this not cognitive dissonance in action? I.e. when in doubt, shout (to borrow the title of a study). People are just doubling down when their beliefs are threatened with conflicting information. https://t.co/hteR0rWk2q https://t.co/1squBb8Odv

Oct 21, 2019 · 2 likes · 936 followers View post →
Peter Barrett
@PHSBarrett · X

Obviously, we can imagine our interlocutor feel EXACTLY THE SAME WAY about us, which begs the question...what are we missing?

Mar 21, 2024 · 1 like · 383 followers View post →
Jon Wardle
@wardlejon · X

@frenchricky it's an interesting question. There's a whole field of research showing how evidence that disproves people's beliefs can actually make people more invested in those beliefs https://t.co/JPcc13ebxX

Feb 18, 2019 · 1,685 followers View post →
A. Hariharan
@_AHariharan · X

@ConceptualJames https://t.co/jpLW9G6CJF

Dec 16, 2019 · 574 followers View post →
Piotr Prokopowicz, PhD
@pprokopowicz · X

RT @andre_spicer: When people's deeply held beliefs are undermined, they tend to engage in more prosletizing about those beliefs. Experimen…

Jan 8, 2019 · 1 share · 404 followers View post →

All mentions

The Paradox of Doubt in Persuasion and Advocacy

Your argumentation often fails and can backfire, but persuasion science offers counterintuitive solutions. This video explains why doubt can motivate individuals to promote their beliefs more actively, especially when…

Debatology · Mar 22, 2024 296 views
Peter Barrett
@PHSBarrett · X

Check out a more complete video on argumentation : https://t.co/lWnarybAzH

Apr 2, 2024 · 383 followers View post →
Peter Barrett
@PHSBarrett · X

Video up! You can check out how to find the perfect argument to persuade anyone! WAIT! You're not using the right argument https://t.co/lVflwlIn05 via @YouTube

Mar 22, 2024 · 383 followers View post →
Peter Barrett
@PHSBarrett · X

Obviously, we can imagine our interlocutor feel EXACTLY THE SAME WAY about us, which begs the question...what are we missing?

Mar 21, 2024 · 1 like · 383 followers View post →
A. Hariharan
@_AHariharan · X

@ConceptualJames https://t.co/jpLW9G6CJF

Dec 16, 2019 · 574 followers View post →
David Christmas
@dchristmas · X

Is this not cognitive dissonance in action? I.e. when in doubt, shout (to borrow the title of a study). People are just doubling down when their beliefs are threatened with conflicting information. https://t.co/hteR0rWk2q https://t.co/1squBb8Odv

Oct 21, 2019 · 2 likes · 936 followers View post →
Jon Wardle
@wardlejon · X

@frenchricky it's an interesting question. There's a whole field of research showing how evidence that disproves people's beliefs can actually make people more invested in those beliefs https://t.co/JPcc13ebxX

Feb 18, 2019 · 1,685 followers View post →
Piotr Prokopowicz, PhD
@pprokopowicz · X

RT @andre_spicer: When people's deeply held beliefs are undermined, they tend to engage in more prosletizing about those beliefs. Experimen…

Jan 8, 2019 · 1 share · 404 followers View post →
André Spicer
@andre_spicer · X

When people's deeply held beliefs are undermined, they tend to engage in more prosletizing about those beliefs. Experiment https://t.co/NXK4Qfx0l2

Jan 8, 2019 · 5 likes · 1 share · 15,122 followers View post →