“Can’T Believe It” (We Deny Interrogation Findings That Defy Our Beliefs)

So, I own got been running a piddling experiment on twitter. Oh well, it doesn’t actually deserve the term “experiment” – at to the lowest degree inwards an academic vocabulary – because at that topographic point surely are no handling effects or command groups. It does deserve the term “little” though, because at that topographic point are exclusively 4 observations.

My experiment was to postal service a few recent findings from academic query that to a greater extent than or less mightiness detect mildly controversial or – every bit it turns out – offending. These 4 pilus raising findings were 1) selling junk nutrient inwards schools does non Pb to increased obesity, 2) family-friendly workplace practices produce non ameliorate trace solid functioning (although they produce non decrease them either), 3) girls own got longer to heal from concussions, 4) firms headed upwards past times CEOs amongst broader faces present higher profitability.

Only mildly controversial I’d say, together with exclusively to some. I was exactly curious to come across what reactions it would trigger. Because I own got noticed inwards the past times that people appear inclined to ship away academic prove if they don’t similar the results. If the results are inwards trace amongst their ain beliefs together with preconceptions, its methods together with validity are much less probable to move called stupid.  

Selling junk nutrient inwards schools does non Pb to increased obesity is the finding of a really read past times some, move it clearly without a proper agreement of its methodology (which, indeed, it existence an academic paper, is difficult to fully appreciate without proper query methodology training). It led to reactions that the written report was “in fact, wrong”, made “no sense”, or fifty-fifty that it actually showed the opposite; these lightheaded professors exactly didn’t realise it.

Girls own got longer to heal from concussions is the empirical fact established past times Professor Tracey Covassin together with colleagues.. Of course of didactics at that topographic point is no denying that girls together with boys are physiologically dissimilar (one cursory hold back at my sis inwards the bathtub already taught me that at an early on age), but the aforementioned finding yet led to swift denials such every bit “speculation”!

That firms headed upwards past times CEOs amongst broader faces plow over higher profitability – a careful (and, inwards my view, quite intriguing) empirical find past times my colleague Margaret Ormiston together with colleagues – triggered reactions such every bit “sometimes a written report tells you lot to a greater extent than virtually the interests of the researcher, than virtually the object of the study” together with “total nonsense”. 

So I own got to conclude from my piddling (academically invalid) mini-experiment that to a greater extent than or less people are inclined to ship away results from query if they produce non similar them – together with fifty-fifty without reading the query or without the skills to properly empathise it. In contrast, other, nicer findings that I had posted inwards the past, which people did desire to believe, never led to outcries of bad methodology together with mentally retarded academics and, inwards fact, were oft eagerly retweeted.

We all hold back for confirmation of our pre-existing beliefs together with don’t similar it much if these comfortable convictions are challenged. I own got piddling uncertainty that this too heavily influences the type of query that companies conduct, condone, lay out together with pay attending to. Even if the findings are nicer than nosotros preconceived (e.g. the availability of junk nutrient does non brand kids eat to a greater extent than of it), nosotros prefer to stick to our one-time beliefs. And I estimate that’s only human; people’s convictions don’t alter easily.