In the past I have written a lot about the “Rational Ignorance Effect” as it pertains to health care and the ensuing debate and now it seems that sociologists are agreeing with me…but they seem reluctant to use the “RIE”.
Live Science has an article written by Jeanna Bryner:
The problem: People on both sides of the political aisle often work backward from a firm conclusion to find supporting facts, rather than letting evidence inform their views.
The result: A survey out this week finds voters split strongly along party lines regarding their beliefs about key parts of the plan. Example: About 91 percent of Republicans think the proposal would increase wait times for surgeries and other health services, while only 37 percent of Democrats think so.
Irrational thinking
A totally rational person would lay out – and evaluate objectively – the pros and cons of a health care overhaul before choosing to support or oppose a plan. But we humans are not so rational, according to Steve Hoffman, a visiting professor of sociology at the University of Buffalo.
And to keep our sense of personal and social identity, Hoffman said, we tend to use a backward type of reasoning in order to justify such beliefs.
Similarly, past research by Dolores Albarracin, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has shown in particular that people who are less confident in their beliefs are more reluctant than others to seek out opposing perspectives. So these people avoid counter evidence all together. The same could apply to the health care debate, Albarracin said.
Hot health care debate
The proposed health care plan has all the right ingredients for such wonky reasoning, the researchers say.
The issue is both complex (no single correct answer), emotionally charged and potentially history-changing, while debates often occur with like-minded peers in town hall settings. The result is staunch supporters and just-as-staunch critics who are sticking to their guns.
“The health care debate would be vulnerable to motivated reasoning, because it is, and has become, so highly emotionally and symbolically charged,” Perrin said during a telephone interview, adding that images equating the plan with Nazi Germany illustrate the symbolic nature of the arguments.
In addition, the town hall settings make for even more rigid beliefs. That’s because changing one’s mind about a complex issue can rattle a person’s sense of identity and sense of belonging within a community. If everyone around you is a neighbor or friend, you’d be less likely to change your opinion, the researchers say.
Two-sided discussion
To bring the facts from both sides to the table, Hoffman suggests venues where a heterogeneous group of people can meet, those for and against the proposed health care system overhaul. And at least some of these gatherings should include just a handful of people. In groups of more than about six people, one or two members will tend to dominate the discussion, he said.
It is an interesting study, but after reading it all I could say was……Rational Ignorance Effect…….my definition is less wordy….
