Myths: How to debunk them (book)
The Debunking Handbook (2011) by John Cook, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland and Stephan Lewandowsky, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia gives useful tips on using effective psychological methods to debunk myths.
Pamphlet Description
Debunking myths is problematic. Unless great care is taken, any effort to debunk misinformation can inadvertently reinforce the very myths one seeks to correct. To avoid these “backfire effects”, an effective debunking requires three major elements. First, the refutation must focus on core facts rather than the myth to avoid the misinformation becoming more familiar. Second, any mention of a myth should be preceded by explicit warnings to notify the reader that the upcoming information is false. Finally, the refutation should include an alternative explanation that accounts for important qualities in the original misinformation.
Contents
- Debunking the first myth about debunking
- The Familiarity Backfire Effect
- The Overkill Backfire Effect
- The Worldview Backfire Effect
- Filling the gap with an alternative explanation
- Anatomy of an effective debunking
- Bibliography
Importance to BoyLovers
We all suffer from the myths about "pedophiles," and this provides some useful information on how to "debunk" myths; information equally applicable to debunking the myths we suffer from.
External Link - Download the pamphlet
- For more information, visit http://sks.to/debunk
- Download the pamphlet here:
