COMPASS to the Psychology of Elections #5 - Drinking Water: Do We Even Agree on the Facts? - with Annemette Staal
Is agricultural or urban pollution to blame for contaminated drinking water? Are people in Aalborg dying of colorectal cancer because of nitrates? Our confirmation bias means we can have vastly different perceptions of the truth. But what does that mean for our ability to work together toward a better future?
In this episode of "Kompas til Valgets Psykologi," hosts Sigge Winther and Lars Hvidberg, along with behavioral psychologist Annemette Staal, explore why we are more likely to accept facts that align with our own views. And then we’ll look at what you, as a listener, can do about it before you vote in the parliamentary election on March 24.
Research:
Lord, C. G. (1979): Biased assimilation and attitude polarization
Nickerson, R. S. (1998): Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many forms.
Herberger, K. (May 20, 2025): DelusionNetworks: Understanding and Addressing Collective Mass Delusions.
The University of Texas Permian Basin (2025): The Psychology of Political Extremes: Exploring Group Polarization
Credits:
Cast: Annemette Staal, Sigge Winther, and Lars Hvidberg
Editors: Linn Lüders, Silas Moody, Lars Hvidberg, Ida Torpe Thorhauge, Bjørk Hulten, Noa Jenkins, and Anton Jensen
Sound Design: Peter Sejersbøl
Produced by the INVI think tank – Institute for wicked , with support from the Carlsberg Foundation.