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Do politics make us irrational? - Jay Van Bavel

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16,610 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Can someone’s political identity actually affect their ability to process information? The answer lies in a cognitive phenomenon known as partisanship. While identifying with social groups is an essential and healthy part of life, it can become a problem when the group’s beliefs are at odds with reality. So how can we recognize and combat partisanship? Jay Van Bavel shares helpful strategies.

In 2013 a team of researchers examined how people solved identical math problems about non-political (skin cream) and political (gun control) topics. Which problems were most difficult for people?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Jay Van Bavel
  • Director Patrick Smith
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Patrick Smith
  • Animator Patrick Smith
  • Compositor Patrick Smith
  • Art Director Patrick Smith
  • Sound Designer Patrick Smith
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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