Belief: What It Means to Believe and Why Our Convictions Are So Compelling

An expert on the psychology of belief examines how our thoughts and feelings, actions and reactions, respond not to the world as it actually is but to the world as we believe it to be.

This book explores the psychology of belief - how beliefs are formed, how they are influenced both by internal factors, such as perception, memory, reason, emotion, and prior beliefs, as well as external factors, such as experience, identification with a group, social pressure, and manipulation. It also reveals how vulnerable beliefs are to error, and how they can be held with great confidence even when factually false.

The author, a social psychologist who specializes in the psychology of belief, elucidates how the brain and nervous system function to create the perceptions, memories, and emotions that shape belief. He explains how and why distorted perceptions, false memories, and inappropriate emotional reactions that sometimes lead us to embrace false beliefs are natural products of mental functioning. He also shows why it is so difficult to change our beliefs when they collide with contradictions.

Covering a wide range -- from self-perception and the perceived validity of everyday experience to paranormal, religious, and even fatal beliefs--the book demonstrates how crucial beliefs are to molding our experience and why they have such a powerful hold on our behavior.

About the Author :
James E. Alcock, PhD, is a professor of psychology at York University in Toronto and the author of many books, book chapters, and articles on social psychology and the psychology of belief, most recently An Introduction to Social Psychology (with Stan Sadava). He is also a registered clinical psychologist who works in private practice. He is on the executive council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the editorial board of Skeptical Inquirer. His previous work includes a special research project on parapsychology for the National Academy of Sciences.

Review :
""Whatever you believe you know about belief, you will find surprises in this comprehensive volume. James Alcock deftly dissects the human heart of folly: why so many cling to beliefs that are foolish, self-destructive, and wrong, believing them to be wise, self-protective, and right." --Carol Tavris, PhD, coauthor (with Elliot Aronson) of Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)"Alcock has written a book that comprehensively considers the concept of belief from all angles, writing in a clear and accessible style throughout. With its emphasis upon the need for critical thinking in evaluating claims, the publication of this book could not be more timely in our so-called 'post-truth era.'" --Professor Christopher C French, head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London"Beliefs, sometimes true but often mistaken, have been a motivation for refusing medical treatment, for terrorism, for murder, and even for suicide. How do people rationalize these horrors? In his new engaging book, esteemed psychologist James Alcock helps us understand." --Elizabeth F. Loftus, PhD, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine and author of Eyewitness Testimony"