Ignite talk - Wednesday 5 pm Brian Fitzgerald of Dancing Fox shares evidence behind of why just sharing evidence isn't enough to convince people...and how you might go about convincing people in a different way.

1. VERSION 8.0

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WHAT IS IT?
It’s a cognitive quirk that not only rejects
facts that contradict our core beliefs, but
STRENGTHENS those core beliefs despite
the facts.

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Example #1
Immunization: Parents reluctant to immunize children
against flu were shown conclusive evidence that their
concern – that the vaccine could *cause* flu- was false.
They accepted the fact. But their willingness to
immunize their children DECREASED.

4. VERSION 8.0
Example #2
Warehouse fire: Subjects are told a story about a
warehouse fire. At first, it appears the fire was caused
by paint cans in a closet. This fact is later corrected: it
was discovered the closet was empty. 50% recall the
cause of the fire incorrectly, blaming paint cans. Their
minds preferred a complete story filled in with an
incorrect fact to an incomplete one.

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Example #2 (Continued)
A similar group were told that the paint cans were not
the cause, but were also told another closet had been
found full of oily rags.
NONE of them mis-recalled the paint cans. The story
was completed by the oily rags.

6. VERSION 8.0
WHY?
Because what we think of as our reasoning brain is usually
more like a politician than a scientist. We embrace facts
that back up our opinions, reject facts that might change
them. It’s easier to say “that fact is wrong” than “My
worldview is incorrect

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Because cooperation and tribal identity are built on
shared beliefs, and are hard to build. Evolution has
made these things resilient.
We don’t want to adopt opinions different from our tribe.
WHY?

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Because our IDENTITY is tied to our deeper beliefs.
We don’t change who we are lightly. It’s easier to say “that
fact is wrong” than “I don’t know who I am anymore.”
WHY?

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WHY?
Climate Deniers aren’t the only
ones that do it.

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“The facts are so clear, Brexit will clearly not
win a majority referendum.”
~
“The facts are so clear, Donald Trump can’t
possibly win.”

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In fact, we ALL do it.

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Some of our organisations, and some of us reading
this presentation right now, have an “irrational
emotional attachment to rationality.”
We ignore the facts of persuasion science that tell
us that facts don’t win, and keep running fact-
based campaigns.

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In fact, this presentation is a
fact-based effort to try to persuade you.

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I’m doomed.

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Ways to
Avoid the
Backfire Effect

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Abandon the
“Information
deficit model”
✴ Presenting the facts in a new report is not
going to win your campaign on its own

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Focus on the
undecideds,
not the skeptics

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Join with someone
who disagrees with
you in a joint attempt
to solve a mystery

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Adjust your framing
& vocabulary to avoid
triggers*
✴ “Environment” can be a dirty word for conservatives.
Looking to stop fracking? Try talking about the “Sanctity
of the land.”

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Change behaviour
to change opinion,
not the other
way around

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Make someone feel
GREAT about their
other values. Take
Identity off the table

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Don’t mention the myth
you’re trying to debunk,
only the fact you’re
trying to plant

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Don’t overkill.
If one fact is enough,
two might completely
undermine your case
✴ I’m really sorry I didn’t make it to your party. I
was sick. And I had a flat tire.

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Replace the table leg
you are taking away
✴ If you’re going to say that X is not the cause of Y, you
need something to replace X, or the brain’s distaste for an
incomplete story will put X right back.

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Don’t use fact at all.
Avoid talking to the
head. Talk to the heart.
Trigger someone’s
values with a STORY

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The best persuasive device is a
personal story, told face to face,
ideally by someone like you – who
used to share your opinion – but
who changed their mind.

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Sources & More:
• The You Are Not So Smart Podcast
• The Righteous Mind: Jonathan Haidt
• The Debunking Handbook: J. Cook, S. Lewandowsky
• Don’t Think of an Elephant! George Lakoff
• The Political Brain: Drew Westen
• Why Facts don’t Change our Minds: Elizabeth Kolbert
• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari
• George Marshall: Don’t Even Think About It

28. Tommy Crawford @TheEcoWarrior
Brian Fitzgerald @Brianfit
www.dancing-fox.com
misterfox@dancing-fox.com
Dancing Fox
Specialists in Beautiful mischief