Come previsto, è già quasi sparito dal dibattito pubblico il vero macrofenomeno emerso dalle elezioni del 31 maggio, cioè la diserzione delle urne. Eppure non era mai accaduta una cosa così: ad esempio, che in due grosse regioni come Toscana e Marche
«The Debunking Handbook, a guide to debunking misinformation, is now freely
available to download. Although there is a great deal of psychological research
on misinformation, there's no summary of the literature that offers practical
guidelines on the most effective ways of reducing the influence of myths.»
«…an excellent survey article on modern propaganda techniques, how they work,
and how we might defend ourselves against them.
…
As to defense: "Debunking doesn't work: provide an alternative narrative."»
The Barnum effect, also called the Forer effect, or less commonly the Barnum-Forer effect, is a common psychological phenomenon whereby individuals give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically to them, that are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people. This effect can provide a partial explanation for the widespread acceptance of some paranormal beliefs and practices, such as astrology, fortune telling, aura reading, and some types of personality tests.
“Slim by Chocolate!” the headlines blared. A team of German researchers had found that people on a low-carb diet lost weight 10 percent faster if they ate a chocolate bar every day. It made the front page of Bild, Europe’s largest daily newspaper, just beneath their update about the Germanwings crash. From there, it ricocheted around the internet and beyond, making news in more than 20 countries and half a dozen languages. It was discussed on television news shows. It appeared in glossy print, most recently in the June issue of Shape magazine (“Why You Must Eat Chocolate Daily,” page 128). Not only does chocolate accelerate weight loss, the study found, but it leads to healthier cholesterol levels and overall increased well-being. The Bild story quotes the study’s lead author, Johannes Bohannon, Ph.D., research director of the Institute of Diet and Health: “The best part is you can buy chocolate everywhere.”