Study: Personal anecdotes are more effective at bridging divides than facts

[cheryl]

Study: Personal anecdotes are more effective at bridging divides than facts - Big Think

Most people believe you can win an argument with facts - but when "facts" are so often subject to doubt, are personal experiences trusted more?

• A new study has found that people are more likely to get respect from others in moral and political conversations when sharing personal experiences instead of facts.
• The research group conducted 15 separate experiments to test this theory in order to learn more about tolerance in specifically political arguments.
• The effectiveness of facts in these conversations (even when proven true) is unclear because facts themselves are now subject to doubt, especially surrounding controversial and polarizing topics such as gun control and political beliefs.

Researchers at the University of Koblenz-Landau, the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and the Wharton School of Business have found that people are more likely to get respect from others in moral and political conversations when sharing personal experiences instead of facts. The research group conducted 15 separate experiments to test this theory and to learn more about tolerance in specifically political arguments.