Why do coherent belief systems tolerate incoherence? Belief update failures in society

Beliefs shape how we perceive reality, make decisions, and interact with the world. Yet, they often embody a paradox: while belief systems appear coherent, they can also contain deep contradictions. For instance, a person may believecontradicting the experts consensusthat climate change is not human made or vaccines are generally harmful. Another person may believe themselves to be highly tolerant yet act in an intolerant fashion. Thus, evidence contradicting our prior beliefs is in fact sometimes not perceived as contradictory, may be readily ignored, or even explicitly rejected. Could it be that these contradictions are not simply "mistakes" but reflect fundamental mechanisms of our thinking? This is exactly what a new interdisciplinary research group wants to find out within the framework of a Special Research Area funded by the the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). We aim to understand the processes of belief update, as well as its failures. We target the mechanisms that lead people to hold "coherently incoherent belief systems", and to study the profound effects that the dynamics of belief formation have on both individuals and societies. Our project is interdisciplinary: We bring together researchers from psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, and economics to examine the interplay between core beliefsthose deeply rooted in ones identity and preferencesand evidence-based inferred beliefs, which are shaped by experience and reason. Together, we will develop a comprehensive framework that integrates formal models and the emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions of belief formation. Central to the research are for example questions about how belief systems develop and adapt, from the earliest stages of childhood to the complex realities of adulthood. The project will also investigate the role of language in shaping and maintaining belief structures, alongside the economic and political consequences of false or contradictory beliefs. With innovative approaches we aim to uncover the mechanisms that underpin belief persistence and change, providing insights that can inform policy, education, and communication strategies. Understanding why people hold contradictory beliefs and why some beliefs persist in face of contradictory evidence is crucial for addressing pressing societal challenges such as polarization, misinformation, and the erosion of social trust. , and social

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