Most people aren’t sure what to believe in the media these days.  What is fake news to one person is confirmation to another person that what he or she thinks about the subject is correct.   

How do people arrive at very different conclusions from the same information?  Let’s take a look at what behavioral scientists have to say about this phenomenon.  I reviewed a November 2017 column I wrote and updated my references for this article.

Psychologists, neuroscientists, and behavior specialists agree that our sensory organs, such as our visual and auditory receptors, detect the information they were designed to perceive to the extent that these sensory systems function properly.  How our brains interpret the sensory input may vary considerably, however.

Two of the most important research findings that have been established as correct thus far by behavior scientists are: 1) What we perceive through our senses is highly influenced by what our brains want to see and hear, that is, preconceived beliefs color how we interpret information from our senses, and; 2) What we observe influences how we behave.  

How do our brains determine what is real?  Several factors contribute to what we believe is real:

The belief must have survival value, such as avoiding venomous snakes, because their bites could harm us

We tend to believe information sources that we value, such as our parents, respected teachers, science, and media that we like, unless and until we have proof that they are wrong, such as when a trusted person abuses us or perceived information disappoints our expectations

We select information that agrees with our beliefs through a process called confirmation bias; it strengthens our beliefs until contrary outcomes overwhelmingly modify our perceptions 

The more the same information is repeated, the more likely we are to believe it to be accurate; this is called the repetition illusion

The more positive and valuable the belief is described by others, the more likely we are to adopt it as true until the information is clearly wrong

Recognizing that our beliefs could be wrong is essential to learning the truth.  Knowledge about almost everything changes as scientific and logical information accrues.  For example, centuries ago most people thought the earth was flat, but as sailors circumnavigated the world and arrived back home, they proved it must be round.  Updated information is needed continuously so we get closer to the truth about everything.  

Determining what to believe is most accurate involves gathering information from a variety of sources, especially from sources that differ from our established beliefs.  Credible information that disagrees with established beliefs broadens our thinking.  

Examining a variety of media (e.g., television and radio reports, news and online websites from many different sources) with known differences of opinion helps us to achieve truthful knowledge about topics that interest us.  The information we examine is more likely to be correct when its sources are publicized, such as references after a quote or statement of fact.   

Let’s examine further how the media influence our behavior.  During the 1960s and ‘70s, there was much concern that what children watched on television influenced their behavior, and for good reason.  

Drawing on the available research findings at the time, the U.S. Surgeon General’s report in 1982 reached several conclusions about children watching violence on television: They may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; they may be more fearful of the world around them; and they may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others.  

More recent reviews and reports of research by Iowa State University psychologist Dr. Craig Anderson and others in 2010, and later, confirm that exposure to violent video games and violence in visual and auditory media increases aggression in the behaviors, thinking, and emotions of the observers.  

The opposite principle is also true: Exposure to prosocial behaviors, like sharing, increases the likelihood of children and adults behaving similarly.  If the observers know and respect the models of positive behaviors, their examples to both children and adults are more credible and more likely to be emulated.

There are sensible updated guidelines by the American Academy of Family Practitioners for parents about exposure of children to all media, including phones, iPads, and other computers.  They are summarized below:

One hour per day for children 18 to 24 months of age

Two hours daily of noneducational programming for children ages 2 to 5

Parents and caregivers should supervise electronic media content and use by all children

Parents, schools, and caregivers should promote educational information to all children

I would add that everyone should advocate for reasonable standards of accuracy by all media.

These recommendations make all the more sense in our present era when deviations from the truth and bullying are increasingly portrayed as acceptable by persons in leadership positions.  As the biblical gospel, John 8:23, says, “Only the truth shall make us free.” 

Dr. Rosmann is a psychologist who lives at Pella, Iowa.  Contact him at: mike@agbehavioralhealth.com.