Resistance to Belief Change

This book analyzes the fundamental, yet greatly underestimated, human proclivity to be resistant to changing beliefs.

Joseph R. Lao earned his Ph.D. in the field of cognitive development from Teachers College, Columbia University. As an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, and a full-time Senior Lecturer at Hunter College, in the City University of New York, and elsewhere, Dr. Lao has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Experimental Psychology, Human Development, Learning, and Cognitive Development for more than 20 years. Jason Young earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Minnesota. As a full-time Associate Professor at Hunter College, in the City University of New York, and elsewhere, Professor Young has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in social psychology over the past 30 years, including Introduction to Social Psychology, Research Methods in Social Psychology, the Psychology of Prediction, and The Psychology of Attitudes and Persuasion.

Preface Chapter 1 - The Nature of Beliefs Chapter 2 - Introduction to Resistance Chapter 3 - The Relevance of Resistance to Everyday Life Chapter 4 - Resistance as Disagreement Chapter 5 - Affective Resistance Chapter 6 - Cognitive Anchoring Chapter 7 - Mechanisms of Cognitive Inertia Chapter 8 - Social Influences on Resistance Chapter 9 - Biological Resistance Chapter 10 - Self-Directed Learning Chapter 11 - Teaching Against Resistance