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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

Rob writes: "personal experience has left me somewhat scarred by the 'well-informed, but ill-intentioned' set!"

Rob, can we form a support group?

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Overcoming Bias Commenter's avatar

How someone feels having received a communication can have as much to do with the individual words used as the meaning of a whole report. For example, if I told you that Jim wasn't ugly, then the next time you met Jim, you might look for signs that he is. Certainly, I would create an association in your mind between Jim and ugliness. (Sorry Jim, if you're reading.)

Conversely, if I told you my girlfriend didn't find Mark attractive, you might wonder whether this denial was evidence of some secret liaison going on. In this case I would be better to say my girlfriend thinks Mark is average in his looks, or even that she doesn't have an opinion.

When putting together any communication, it is important to use the words we want our audience to remember. As a starting point, we should avoid using negatives like, "I do not find him attractive." Sadly, a piece about how there is no association between autism and MMR vaccines, in the wider public context, tends to communicate the opposite.

Then, some words are so over-used in inappropriate ways that they start to convey the opposite meanings. If a politician says that beef is safe, then it probably isn't, because things rarely are safe when a politician uses that word.

It's a tricky subject.

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