How Social Information Shapes Belief: Applications in Evidence Interpretations and High-Stakes Decision-Making

About the talk

This presentation explores experimental research on the cognitive mechanisms behind how individuals form and maintain beliefs in response to social information. By analysing data from experimental studies, the session examines how specific cues—such as perceived consensus and repetition—influence judgment regarding claims and evidence.

The findings demonstrate that human belief systems are heavily swayed by the perceived opinions of others, even when those social impressions are indirect or based on misleading data. Understanding this dynamic is essential for interpreting evidence and improving communication strategies within high-stakes decision-making environments.

Guest speaker

Dr Saoirse Connor Desai is a Lecturer in Psychology in the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology Sydney.

Her research uses online experimental methods to examine how people form and maintain beliefs from social information. Her work focuses on the role of cues such as consensus, repetition, and related forms of social influence in shaping judgments about claims and evidence.

She has published extensively on belief persistence and social information effects, with a broader interest in how beliefs are shaped in uncertain and information‑rich environments.

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