A new special research area led by Central European University (CEU) is set to explore a question at the heart of human cognition and societal dynamics: Why do coherent belief systems sometimes tolerate incoherence?
The project, funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF at € 3.8 million over four years - with a possibility of extension to another four years -, unites an interdisciplinary network of researchers from two CEU departments Agnes Melinda Kovacs, Natalie Sebanz and Eva Wittenberg from CEU's Department of Cognitive Science: Mats Koster and Adam Szeidl from CEU's Department of Economics; and Susann Fiedler from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The project will tackle the processes of belief formation, belief update failures, and their far-reaching societal implications.
"Beliefs shape how individuals perceive the world, make decisions, and interact with others. Yet, they often harbor contradictions, sometimes persisting even in the face of contradictory evidence," said Szeidl. Susan Fiedler added that this project "aims to unravel the mechanisms behind 'coherently incoherent beliefs' and understand their effects on both individual behavior and collective dynamics."
The research brings together expertise from psychology, cognitive science, linguistics, and economics, integrating formal models with emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions, to build a comprehensive framework for understanding belief dynamics. The team will investigate how deeply rooted core beliefs, tied to identity, interact with inferred beliefs shaped by experience and reason.
Key areas of focus include examining how beliefs form and evolve from childhood to adulthood; understanding how social factors and linguistic structures influence the persistence and coherence of beliefs; and analyzing the effects of false and contradictory beliefs.
"Understanding why people hold contradictory beliefs and why some beliefs persist in face of contradictory evidence is crucial for addressing challenges like misinformation, political polarization, and the erosion of social trust," said Associate Professor and the project's coordinator Agnes Melinda Kovacs. "This research will provide insights that can inform policy, education, and communication strategies."
The research findings promise to shed light on the cognitive and societal processes that underpin belief persistence and change, offering insights into pressing societal challenges. The project is due to begin in the first half of 2025.
