As we approach a fall election we need to assess political claims that have been psychologically designed to manipulate our voting decision. Three methods of manipulation are identified by sociologist Barry Glassner.
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| Attention to these strategies |
There is a difference between post-truth and plain old lying, says professor and author Lee McIntyre.
"I see post-truth as a little bit darker in motive. It's manipulation for a political purpose that has less to do with convincing someone and more to do with ruling that person."1
Kendra Cherry shares an important cognitive bias that can distort our thinking.
Confirmation Bias: This is favoring information that conforms to your existing beliefs and discounting evidence that does not conform.2
Daniel P. Horan, OFM speaks on how we can be manipulated by people who play on our fear in his address on “Natural and Unnatural Fear Rational and Irrational Hope” to the Oblate School of Theology's Summer Institute where he cites work, on “fear mongering” by Barry Glassner who demonstrates in his book, The Culture of Fear, that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk.
At minute 49 Horan refers to Glassner on fear and three contributing factors in manipulation.4
Our psychological response to fear may be “fight, flight or freeze” and we become focused on immediate threats to our security. This primitive mind space is not the attitude that selects the best long term political policy for our society.
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