Abstract
When knowledge is scarce, it is adaptive to seek further information to resolve uncertainty and obtain a more accurate worldview. Biases in such information-seeking behavior can contribute to the maintenance of inaccurate views. Here, we investigate whether predispositions for uncertainty-guided information seeking relate to individual differences in dogmatism, a phenomenon linked to entrenched beliefs in political, scientific, and religious discourse. We addressed this question in a perceptual decision-making task, allowing us to rule out motivational factors and isolate the role of uncertainty. In two independent general population samples (n = 370 and n = 364), we show that more dogmatic participants are less likely to seek out new information to refine an initial perceptual decision, leading to a reduction in overall belief accuracy despite similar initial decision performance. Trial-by-trial modeling revealed that dogmatic participants placed less reliance on internal signals of uncertainty (confidence) to guide information search, rendering them less likely to seek additional information to update beliefs derived from weak or uncertain initial evidence. Together, our results highlight a cognitive mechanism that may contribute to the formation of dogmatic worldviews.
Highlights
When knowledge is scarce, it is adaptive to seek further information to resolve uncertainty and obtain a more accurate worldview
We derived a measure of dogmatism from a factor analysis applied to the questionnaire battery (Fig. 1)
We show that dogmatic individuals are less likely to seek out additional information before committing to a decision
Summary
It is adaptive to seek further information to resolve uncertainty and obtain a more accurate worldview. We investigate whether predispositions for uncertainty-guided information seeking relate to individual differences in dogmatism, a phenomenon linked to entrenched beliefs in political, scientific, and religious discourse We addressed this question in a perceptual decision-making task, allowing us to rule out motivational factors and isolate the role of uncertainty. Empirical data bear out such predictions [17, 18], showing that people are more likely to seek information when they express low confidence (i.e., higher uncertainty) in their decisions In everyday situations, both motivational influences and failures in uncertainty-guided information search can lead to biased or inaccurate beliefs, albeit via distinct mechanisms. Eliciting trial-by-trial estimates of confidence enabled us to infer how participants use uncertainty to guide their search
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
