The Perseverance Effect: Why Our Biased Brain Clings to Old Beliefs
September 02, 2025Categories: Psychology and Communication, Podcast Episode
The Biased Brain Podcast with Owen Hawthorne
Explore the intriguing world of cognitive biases and human cognition in this engaging podcast. Discover how bias in decision making shapes our perceptions and influences our choices. Join us as we delve into the science behind critical thinking and biases, providing practical insights to enhance your understanding and control over your thought processes. Whether you're a psychology student or curious observer, this podcast offers valuable tools to help you unveil the hidden biases in your mind.
Why We Keep Believing What’s False: The Perseverance Effect in Communication
Have you ever noticed how sometimes, even after you learn that something you believed is actually false, you just can’t completely shake it off? Like you’re still a little stuck with that old idea even when new facts prove otherwise? That’s what psychologists call the “Perseverance Effect”, and it’s a fascinating—and kinda annoying—part of how human cognition works.
So, picture this: you hear a rumor about someone at work, maybe that they’re lazy or unreliable. Later, you find out that rumor isn’t true at all. But for some reason, you still feel a little hesitant to fully trust that person. That lingering doubt, despite new evidence, is the perseverance effect in action.
Why does this happen? Well, the answer lies in the way our biased brain processes information. You see, our minds tend to cling onto the first impressions we get—the initial explanations or beliefs we form—even if later information contradicts them. This is a classic example of what cognitive scientists refer to as “bias in decision making.” Our brain, comfortable with its first guess, prefers to keep those early beliefs rather than constantly reevaluating and changing its stance.
This can seem frustrating because from the outside, you might think, “Hey, if the facts change, your opinion should too!” But it's not that simple. It turns out that understanding cognitive biases like the perseverance effect is crucial if we want to improve our critical thinking and resist the trap of sticking with wrong ideas just because they feel familiar.
- The initial belief sets the stage. When we first encounter information, it becomes the framework through which we interpret everything else related to that topic.
- New evidence doesn’t erase old beliefs. Instead, it has to compete with them, and often the old beliefs have the home-field advantage in our minds.
- Emotions and personal identity play a role. Sometimes, beliefs are tied to our self-concept or emotions, making them even harder to change.
Think about politics or social issues—those are prime areas where the perseverance effect shows up constantly. People often stick to their initial beliefs despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, which can lead to polarized debates and misunderstandings.
Interestingly, research shows that the way information is presented can influence how strong this effect is. If retractions or corrections are vague or not clearly communicated, the perseverance effect can be even stronger. Basically, just saying “oops, that info was wrong” isn’t always enough to reset someone's thinking.
So what can we do about it? Well, awareness is step one. Recognizing that this is a common bias in human cognition can make us more patient with ourselves and others when beliefs are hard to change. And when we communicate, especially if we want to correct misinformation, it helps to:
- Present clear, detailed evidence rather than vague corrections.
- Address and explain why the original belief was incorrect.
- Encourage open-mindedness and critical thinking instead of confrontation.
- Allow time for people to process the new information gradually.
If you want to dive deeper into this and other fascinating ways our brains shape reality, I highly recommend the book The Biased Brain by Bo Bennett, PhD. It’s packed with insights about critical thinking and biases and gives everyday examples that make this very complex topic easy to grasp. Explore the book and unravel the secrets of your mind today—it's an eye-opener that helps us understand why we think the way we do and how to approach bias in decision making with a clearer head.
At the end of the day, the perseverance effect reminds us how sticky ideas can be in communication and why it takes time, patience, and the right approach to update our beliefs. So next time you catch yourself or someone else holding onto a false idea, you’ll know it’s not just stubbornness—it’s just how the brain works.
