Wir wählen Unwissenheit mit zunehmendem Alter – auch wenn Wissen nützlicher ist. Jüngere Kinder suchten nach Wissen, während sie im Alter von 7 Jahren Informationsvermeidung wurden, wenn die Antworten negative Emotionen hervorrufen könnten. Im Erwachsenenalter ist die Vermeidung von Informationen häufig und kann „die politische Polarisierung oder ideologische Starrheit vertiefen“.
https://newatlas.com/society-health/information-avoidance-adulthood/
14 Kommentare
I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976251344551
From the linked article:
**We choose ignorance as we age – even when knowledge is more useful**
Whether it’s avoiding the news or checking a bank account, adults often deal with uncertainty by switching off and not seeking knowledge – even when that knowledge could be of benefit to us. Now scientists have identified just when in life we start to choose the „ignorance is bliss“ path, opting for comfort rather than uncertainty.
University of Chicago researchers have pinpointed the precise age at which we start avoiding information, a behavior known as the Ostrich Effect (even though ostriches don’t, in fact, bury their heads in sand) – and it begins a lot earlier in life than you might think. In a series of experiments that looked at information avoidance in 320 American children aged between five and 10 years, they found that **younger kids actively sought out knowledge, while by the age of seven individuals became information-avoidant if the answers were potentially going to evoke a negative emotion**.
The findings – that as children got older they increasingly avoided learning information to avoid those negative emotions tied to the knowledge – held true for all but one of the five reasons, and that one was about competence. Kids across the board were not hesitant about finding out if they’d done badly on a test – a situation where the answer could be negative – and the researchers hypothesize that this could be because school fosters growth and positive change, so a bad result is just a minor step on the path to a good outcome.
**In adulthood, information avoidance is common** – it can be overwhelming, threaten long-held beliefs or create fear of uncertainty that is otherwise consciously or unconsciously shut out. The researchers add that this avoidance can have personal and societal consequences, like „**deepening political polarization or ideological rigidity.“**
Confirmation bias and the backfire effect are both very real, and we are all prone to it, to some degree. Being cognizant of the fact can help, but it isn’t a cure.
That explains why Fox Entertainment targets seniors.
Not very surprising. What we gotta know now is how to reduce this. Or are we essentially doomed
Idk about others but, I intend to do everything in my power not to end up with this sort of attitude. I love learning and value knowledge as a principle and basic right. There are tons of things I don’t know, which makes me more eager to learn. I hope I never lose this as I age…
This is so wild to me that so many adults don’t bother to seek out knowledge or check to see if it’s accurate. I just feel deeply embarrassed if I get my facts wrong so why aren’t others? I’ve engaged with so many people where I shove the evidence in their face and they just flat out reject it without looking at it with no shame at all. How do they do it?
Absolutely true. Even though solid information is available on the net, like the leaders of Facebook, Google and the Twitter Files, testifying about Biden administration threats and directives to forbid publication of free speech. Total polarization and finger pointing from politicians of every party and people who think their party is „the good guys“ like in a Western cowboy film.
I wonder if neurologyplasticity plays a role in this. I’ve read that it makes learning difficult as you age, and why younger kids soak up knowledge like a sponge
I guess I never lost that thirst for knowledge…it is an unfortunate fact though that sometimes I wish I was ignorant of some knowledge. Anxiety sucks.
I’m always a little bit sad when I learn something I thought was true, is not.
I always try to break through and keep a learning attitude.
I wonder if there is a study that looks at the behavior of adults around children who are information-avoidant. Personally I have incredibly ignorant parents who really drove my aversion to accept things. I myself am not information avoidant though, but I do remember getting yelled at and stuff for pointing out basic facts that those people didn’t want to face.
Information overload creates stagnation and laziness in people.
Evolutionary effect? In less civilised times, curiosity was quite dangerous. And age 7 is about that time when you start roaming more widely away from the village. Of course, some people might remain curious for their whole lives – you need some members willing to try the new mushroom with red spots. But on average, for the survival of the species, we need some who from an early age will stick to the tried and true path.
Changing one’s mind is like changing one’s posture. It’s a pain in the ass.
But look at it this way, zero people have it all figured out correctly, so if you want to get more correct, you need to deal with the discomfort of learning and changing. I hate it too, but I’d rather do it than become one of those people that are just obstinate.