- This event has passed.
Science and Pseudoscience in Everyday Life: A Field Guide for Evaluating Extraordinary Claims
February 6, 2020 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
General/public talk: Thursday evening talk Feb 6., 6:00-7:30 in Blue Ridge Conference room at WCU.
Science and Pseudoscience in Everyday Life: A Field Guide for Evaluating Extraordinary Claims
Description: The everyday world is a bewildering mixture of claims, some of them well-supported but many others – such as conspiracy theories and misinformation – poorly substantiated. In this talk, Dr. Lilienfeld will discuss the prevalence of pseudoscientific and otherwise questionable beliefs in contemporary life, and explore why all of us are susceptible to their seductive allure.
Sponsored by: Department of Psychology, Department of Political Science, Office of the Provost, Center for the Study of Free Enterprise
Psychology Departmental Research Colloquium: Friday, February 7, 12:00-1:00, Killian 107
Intellectual Humility: Implications for Political, Personality, and Clinical Psychology
Description: People differ in their awareness of their own cognitive biases and limitations. Until recently, however, psychologists have expressed little interest in individual differences in intellectual humility, which relates to the extent to which we are cognizant of our mental fallibility and biases. Dr. Lilienfeld will summarize the results of several preliminary studies from his lab on the correlates and implications of intellectual humility for decision-making, political leadership, and personality traits (e.g., narcissism, authoritarianism). Furthermore, he will discuss how a better understanding of this disposition might foster scientific thinking and diminish ideological polarization.