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Link:: Beliefs have a social purpose. Does this explain delusions? | Psyche Ideas
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Tags:: Sociology, Negationists, 🗞️Articles
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Highlights::
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Very few of us hold beliefs based on a scientific analysis of information.
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For example, in the COVID-19 pandemic, the belief that social distancing reduces the spread of the virus has served an essential social function. It has enabled one of the largest-scale cooperative acts humans have ever performed, coordinating the behaviour of disparate groups to tackle the virus.
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Of course, just because a delusion has logical roots doesn’t mean it’s helpful for the person once it takes hold.
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The coalitional model underlines that beliefs arising from adaptive cognitive processes should show some sensitivity to social context and enable successful social coordination. Delusions lack this social function and adaptability.
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