Somewhat along these lines, the latest Current Directions in Psychological Science has this: Step by Step: Finding Compensatory Order in Science Bastiaan T. Rutjens, Frenk van Harreveld and Joop van der Pligt People are motivated to maintain the belief that they live in an orderly world in which things are under control. Previous research has shown that perceptions of order can be maintained via two routes: affirming personal control over one's life and future outcomes, and bolstering one's belief in external systems or agents that exert control over the world. Both religion and sociopolitical institutions can provide subjective and socially sanctioned security in the context of low personal control or disorder in one's environment. In this article, we argue that belief in science and progress could serve a similar function. Science is not only assumed to simplify people's lives; it also creates a sense of order and predictability. We show that perceiving order (regardless of external agency) can be sufficient to combat lack of control, and that perceptions of order can be derived from science and from more general beliefs about progress. We also discuss findings from our research addressing the processes underlying these effects and the functionality of compensatory beliefs and perceptions. We conclude that endorsing scientific theories and beliefs in societal and scientific progress helps people regulate threats to order and control, as long as these theories and beliefs suggest that the world is (or will be) an orderly place. doi: 10.1177/0963721412469810 Current Directions in Psychological Science June 2013 vol. 22 no. 3 250-255
Rick Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Professor of Psychology Box 3519 John Brown University 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 rfro...@jbu.edu<mailto:rfro...@jbu.edu> (479) 524-7295 http://bit.ly/DrFroman From: Allen Esterson [mailto:allenester...@compuserve.com] Sent: Friday, June 07, 2013 3:36 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: Re:[tips] Conspiracy lovers Having watched TV programmes and read numerous articles/websites on the "moon landing hoax" and 9/11 conspiracy theories, I would say that far from rejecting science, the more coherent claims (only too convincing for those who do not see the rebuttals) are almost entirely based on supposedly scientific analyses of various aspects of these events. On many items a scientist/engineer with impeccable credentials is wheeled out to explain why such-and-such could not have happened in the way "they" say it did. Allen Esterson Former lecturer, Science Department Southwark College, London allenester...@compuserve.com<mailto:allenester...@compuserve.com> http://www.esterson.org<http://www.esterson.org/> ------------------------------------ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: arch...@jab.org. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=25949 or send a blank email to leave-25949-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
