Inducing Feelings of Ignorance Makes People More Receptive to Expert (economist) Opinion

Abstract

While they usually should, people do not revise their beliefs more to expert (economist) opinion than to lay opinion. The present research sought to better understand the factors that make it more likely for an individual to change their mind when faced with the opinions of expert economists versus the general public. Here, across five studies (N = 2,650), I examined the role that overestimation of one’s knowledge plays in this behavior. I replicated the finding that people fail to privilege the opinion of experts over the public on two different (Study 1) and five different (Study 5) economic issues. I then found that undermining an illusion of both topic relevant (Studies 2 - 4) and irrelevant knowledge (Studies 3 & 4) can lead to greater belief revision in response to expert rather than lay opinion. I suggest one reason that people fail to revise their beliefs more to experts is because people tend to think they know more than they really do.