Based on the example of Professor Peter Sandiford, which of the following characterizes the position of many people whose views are contradicted by available evidence?
A) They use science to replicate the research to see where they made their mistake.
B) They ignore or explain away conclusions that challenge their beliefs.
C) They seek out competing explanations to try to arrive at an explanation "in the middle."
D) They change their beliefs to incorporate the new knowledge.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

People who ignore or explain away evidence that contradicts their beliefs are often in a state of cognitive dissonance. They may feel uncomfortable or threatened by information that challenges their worldview, and so they may engage in motivated reasoning to discount the evidence or find alternative explanations that support their beliefs. This is what Professor Sandiford did when he dismissed the evidence of the researchers who disagreed with his theory about climate change.

Based on the Example of Professor Peter Sandiford, Which of the Following