Tools for applying cognitive immunology in your life
The New Socratic Method
Learn to tackle difficult conversations with our New Socratic Method guide.
The Mental Immunity Scale
Can we measure mental immunity? What about its opposite--susceptibility to problematic information? Mental immunity is, of course, complicated: you can be immune to alien abduction stories and susceptible to certain stereotypes. That said, mental immunity is probably something real and worth measuring. This one-page survey instrument imagines what a standard measure of mental immunity might look like. Rooted in decades of conceptual research, we're looking for research partners willing to test it for validity and put it to work!
Rational Confidence or Dogmatic Certainty?
What's the difference between rational confidence and dogmatic certainty? Could some of your beliefs shade in the direction of the latter? If some do, would you know it? This one-page infographic explains the difference, illuminating the nature of the growth mindset. It also presents a simple model of the mechanism at the heart of the mind's immune system. Turns out you can have the courage of your convictions yet still be thoroughly open-minded: learn how by clicking here!
Inoculating Against Information Manipulation
These short (1.5 min) videos have been shown to reduce susceptibility to manipulative information. They work by raising awareness of the techniques commonly used by bad actors online. Have you been inoculated against the use of false dichotomies and scapegoating? If not, take time to watch these videos--or risk having your mind hijacked! Based on the work of CIRCE research partner Sander van der Linden.
What the Fact?! Finding the Truth in the Noise
Many of us now inhabit noisy digital environments and struggle to distill out the truth. Check out this terrific guide to staying reality-based in our bewildering new digital age, from CIRCE research affiliate Dr. Seema Yasmin.
Lateral Reading
In the internet age, lateral reading turns out to be an essential habit. Learn it, change the way you consume online information, and take your mental immunity to another level!
How to Talk to a Science Denier
CIRCE board member Lee McIntyre's book is an excellent resource for understanding how and why we should be talking to people in our lives who ignore science in their decision-making.
Talking COVID with science-denying family – a video guide with Lee McIntyre
In collaboration with How To Academy and MIT Press, CIRCE board member Lee McIntyre offers a practical, hopeful guide to making it through Thanksgiving debates about COVID.
Honing Your BS Detector: How to Spot Conspiracy Theories
This Skeptical Inquirer article by Jeannie Banks Thomas offers some useful rules of thumb for spotting manipulative content. (Jan 2022)
10 Ways to Combat Misinformation
The Institute for Public Relations authored this useful guide to combatting misinformation. Ten solid tips. (May 2019)
Holiday Survival Kit: When Anti-Science Makes the Menu
How do you talk to your family about hot-topic issues? Lee McIntyre talks with the folks at the Purple Principle about science denial. This is Part 2 of a three-part series on surviving the holidays.
Foolproof: Why We Fall for Misinformation
Foolproof is Sander van der Linden's masterful guide to the science of mental immunity. This book could not be more important or timely. Highly recommended!
Article: The Science of Mental Immunity Has Arrived
"The idea that minds have immune systems once seemed metaphorical at best. Mounting evidence and novel arguments, though, suggest that the claim is quite literally true."
In this essay, Andy Norman makes a case for mental immune systems being real and delves into the emerging science of mental immunity i.e. cognitive immunology.
The Change Conversation Cycle
CIRCE affiliate researcher Karin Tamerius has deep expertise in how to have productive political conversations--conversations that actually change hearts and minds. This handy sheet conveys the essence of her powerful method.
How to mitigate misinformation
Article published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
"Stymieing the deceptive notes and news that spread with reckless abandon via social media may require a new approach–or several of them."