Exploring the mechanisms that allow incompatible beliefs to coexist in the cognitive system: how doublethink relates to thinking styles and syndromes of irrational beliefs

Abstract

Despite assumptions that people strive for consistency between their beliefs, endorsement of mutually incompatible ones (so-called doublethink) is not rare. In an attempt to understand the nature of doublethink and the underlying mechanism that enables incompatible beliefs to coexist, we conducted two preregistered studies (total N=691). While doublethink was positively related to need for cognitive closure and different syndromes of irrational beliefs that easily incorporate contradictions (magical health, conspiratorial, superstitious, paranormal), as well as negatively to actively open-minded thinking, we did not find it to be predictive of the use of non-evidence-based medicine nor of its simultaneous use with the official medicine. It seems that this novel construct can be best understood as a feature of the cognitive system that allows incompatible claims to enter it, but compartmentalizes them afterwards (without cross-referencing). This is further reflected in non-evidence-based beliefs persisting within the belief system, irrespective of their content.