What is gullibility? 10 key ideas about this phenomenon

What is gullibility? Broadly speaking, it consists of the ease we have to believe what others tell us. A cognitive scientist, Hugo Mercier, drew a total of 10 very interesting conclusions regarding this phenomenon. According to him, we are much less credulous than has been believed up to now.

This author talks about the little influence exerted on us by the massive persuasion that comes from advertising, from politics, religion... and on the other hand, he mentions the influence that people close to us do exert, and in whom we trust.

Do not miss this article if you want to know why, always according to Mercier, actually we believe ourselves much less than what has always been thought.

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Gullibility: 10 conclusions about it

Credulity consists of the facility that people have to believe the things that others tell us. Logically, there are different degrees of credulity, since not all of us are equally "credulous" (that is, there are people who believe everything, for example, and very skeptical people).

Hugo Mercier, a cognitive scientist at the Jean Nicod Institute in Paris, co-author of the book The Enigma of Reason (“The enigma of reason”), he decided to study the phenomenon of credulity.

According to this researcher, we are not as gullible as we have been led to believe up to now, and neither political campaigns nor advertising, Neither religion, nor, ultimately, attempts at mass persuasion, influence us as much as has really been thought up to now. moment.

Beyond this first conclusion, Mercier drew up to 10 conclusions in relation to credulity. They are the following.

1. "I am not gullible, but the other is"

Mercier's first conclusion about gullibility, through his research, is the following: people believe that we are not gullible, but nevertheless, we think that others are. In social psychology, this phenomenon is called the third person effect..

Thus, through him, we believe that we do not allow ourselves to be influenced by advertisements, by political leaders... but that others do. What if this, unconsciously, makes us even more easily influenced??? (because we are not "on guard"). All can be.

2. People are not gullible

In line with the above, Mercier also believes that people are not gullible, and that they are not easy to deceive.

Mercier refers to different experimental psychology studies linked to credulity, which show how people We do not believe everything they tell us, but rather the opposite; We consider different variables that lead us to decide to what extent we should believe or not the other (for example, we believe more things that come from informed and competent people, and also attractive…).

Furthermore, if what they tell us does not fit with what we think (with our beliefs), we reject it a priori.

3. Low power of political propaganda

According to Mercier, and also based on existing studies to date, the propaganda issued in totalitarian regimes does not change our beliefs.

According to him, if we adhere to an extremist party or political leader, for example, it is because we have an interest in it, not because we have been "convinced" of anything (that is, not because of our credulity).

On the other hand, he also suggests that political propaganda, in any case, accentuates our beliefs (gives them strength), but does not radically change them.

• You may be interested in: "The 10 types of beliefs, and how they speak to who we are"

4. The failure of political campaigns

The next conclusion Mercier draws regarding credulity is that political campaigns fail in their attempt to persuade or convince citizens to vote for a party or other.

At most, they exert influence when voters have to decide beyond “right or left” (and this influence is moderate). As always, Mercier draws on research findings, citing a recent meta-analysis examining the effect of political campaigns on US citizens. This meta-analysis reflects previous results.

5. Also failure of advertising

Advertising is another tool that could exert its effect on our credulity. In addition, in general, many more millions of euros are invested in advertising than in political campaigns.

Well, another conclusion reached by Mercier is that the effect of advertising on our decisions is not relevant either. According to him, based on different studies (and some of them very old), advertising messages get lost along the way, because they reach the heads of people without credulity.

6. “Dumb” people are more easily influenced… false

Another very interesting conclusion of Mercier, regarding the phenomenon of credulity, is that the fact of to assume that “dumb” people (or those with a lower intellectual level) are more easily influenced, it is completely false. We insist that all this is according to this author.

In addition, he himself adds that, in order to influence people, what we must do is not prevent them from thinking, but precisely the opposite, stimulate them to think more, offering them reasons to believe that we have reason.

7. Myths, rumors… harmless

Another idea about credulity, according to the same scientist, is that most false beliefs (or even absurd beliefs) are actually harmless.

We are talking, specifically, about "hoaxes", legends, rumors, myths... according to Mercier, we believe that we influence, and we think "we believe them", but in reality they do not influence our thoughts or behaviors.

8. We transmit the myths even if they do not influence us

Mercier's eighth conclusion in relation to credulity is the following: although myths or legends do not influence our behavior, they do influence one of them; in verbal behavior. We refer to the fact of transmitting these myths or legends, by word of mouth, although they do not really influence us.

9. People are rationally skeptical

Another of Mercier's ideas is this: people are not obstinate, they are very skeptical from a rational point of view.

So, If they do not offer us good reasons (strong reasons) to change their mind or to think in a certain way, we do not do it.. On the other hand, if they give us good reasons (especially close people), we are "easily" influenced.

10. Information overload makes us incredulous

The latest conclusion of the scientist Hugo Mercier on credulity is that we need more information to be influenced, and not less, as has always been thought. It is a reality that we are overloaded with information, and that we are bombarded with it from all sides on a daily basis (without going any further, from advertising or social networks).

Well then, by not being able to classify said information, or locate it, or reflect on it... because we don't have time (it's impossible to do it, there's too much!) or motivation to do it, we simply remain installed in our skepticism, and we do not accept it as valid (we do not let it influence us).

Bibliographic references:

• DeVega, M. (1990). Introduction to cognitive psychology. Psychology Alliance. Madrid.
• Mercier, H. and Sperberg, D. (2017). The enigma of reason. A New Theory of Human Understanding.
• Royal Spanish Academy (RAE): Dictionary of the Spanish language, 23rd ed., [version 23.3 online]. https://dle.rae.es [Date of consultation: January 26, 2020].