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An extremely dangerous pollen responsible for a deadly pandemic in Switzerland. Unless it’s a chemical ventilated by the food industry. It’s fiction, don’t worry. A fiction at the base of an exhibition on cognitive biases at the University of Geneva.
From our correspondent in Geneva,
« Are we heading for a major catastrophe? » « I believe the figures are clear, they indicate a staggering increase in the number of deaths in recent weeks throughout the eastern part of Switzerland. » « We don’t see it, but the pollution is around us and full of pollen, the famous scarlet pollen. »
What you hear are excerpts from two videos shown during the exhibition. In both cases, the experts, the witnesses, the anonymous, parade in front of the cameras and the microphones to give their opinion on the origins of the pandemic. For some, the pollen is responsible. For the others, it is the industrialists. But the data is the same. This is where cognitive biases come in, explains Mona Spiridon, curator of the exhibition: “ Even with some data, people can come to totally different conclusions because, simply, they will choose the data that suits them, they will interpret them in a certain way, they will make the comparisons that suit them. In the end, they will convince themselves of one conclusion rather than another. »
One of the most well-known biases is confirmation bias. This is what pushes us to favor all the arguments that would go in our direction. And to reject those who tend to invalidate our assumptions. There is also the availability bias which makes us content with information that is immediately available. Group bias, which has had a multiplier effect with the advent of social networks where we are only exposed to the reasoning of people who normally think much like us. And no one is immune to these biases. Not even scientists: Sometimes even experts have even greater biases than others because they are much more capable of finding arguments in favor of their point of view and also have much more tools to criticize the arguments of others. The idea, it was precisely to show how it is very easy from some data to convince oneself that one is objectively right. »
In this new school year, the Covid seems almost forgotten in the streets of Geneva. But not the time spent debating with his relatives. Sometimes even falling out about the virus. And to change our minds as our knowledge progressed. An air of déjà vu for Régine and Claire: “ It’s true that it echoes everything we experienced during the pandemic. So, it’s true that we find ourselves listening to people: “that’s it, but he knows what he’s talking about” and then saying to ourselves, “but in fact maybe not after all” . This exhibition highlights the way we operate. » « I don’t need this exhibition for that, but I think it’s smart. It also allows you to position yourself or deposition yourself. »
Do not count on the organizers of the exhibition to tell you if it is pollen or pollution that are ultimately responsible for this real fake pandemic. The new threat is not really aimed at flushing out fake news. But rather to put doubt back at the heart of our thinking and scientific approach. To give back its letters of nobility to the sentence: “I don’t know. »
► To know more : The new threatexposure to cognitive biases