Matthew Facciani
When we talk about media literacy, the focus is often on skills such as checking sources, spotting logical fallacies, or identifying manipulated images. This approach, sometimes called “prebunking,” aims to expose people to common misinformation tactics before they encounter them in the wild. These strategies are valuable, and I’ve both studied and advocated for them. But our mindset matters too.
Cultivating open-mindedness or intellectual humility can help protect us against polarization and misinformation. Crucially, these mindsets aren’t fixed. New research shows we can train ourselves to think more openly, which in turn improves our ability to separate facts from falsehoods.
What the Research Found
Researchers conducted two experiments to test whether people could be “prebunked” against the common pitfalls of closed-minded thinking. Participants received a brief message reminding them that most people agree it’s important to weigh evidence carefully (a subtle use of social norms). Then they were warned about five common reasoning traps:
Being overconfident in your position
Ignoring alternative viewpoints
Believing you understand something until asked to explain it
Only seeking evidence that supports your opinion
Twisting all evidence to fit your view
This short intervention significantly increased Actively Open-Minded Thinking (AOT), which is a cognitive style that involves questioning assumptions, considering alternatives, and avoiding overconfidence. That shift produced measurable ripple effects.
In both studies, this brief intervention increased actively open-minded thinking (AOT) compared to a control group. In Study 1, participants became less likely to believe conspiracy theories and more cautious about what they shared online. The second study replicated the boost in AOT and the indirect reduction in conspiracy beliefs, and additionally found that the intervention directly improved people’s ability to discern factual information from falsehoods.
Why This Matters
We all have moments when it’s easier to double down than to pause and reconsider. This research suggests open-mindedness isn’t a fixed trait; it’s a trainable mindset. A simple reminder to think carefully can strengthen our defenses against being misled.
How to put it into practice:
Pause before you share. Ask whether the content avoids the five pitfalls above.
Play devil’s advocate with yourself. Before committing to a strong opinion, ask: “What would change my mind?” Reflect on why you consider it important and how you came to that conclusion.
Be humble about what you know. Try explaining your view clearly and thoroughly; if you can’t, dig deeper. This connects to my “Revise” step on having more productive conversations as well.
Normalize curiosity. Create spaces where questioning, double-checking, and admitting uncertainty are expected. It’s easier when you surround yourself with thoughtful, curious people.
The Bigger Picture
Strengthening AOT may protect against many kinds of misleading beliefs, not just political misinformation but also pseudoscience and health myths. In a world where conflict entrepreneurs, charlatans, and attention-driven social media platforms compete for our focus, cultivating open-minded thinking is a simple but powerful habit we can build, train, and cultivate.
Matthew Facciani, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Notre Dame in the Computer Science and Engineering Department.
Source: Psychology Today
