Stephan Lewandowsky

Presentation

Cognitive psychologist and Chair of Psychology at Bristol University, Stephan Lewandowsky specialises in understanding the persistence of misinformation in society. Pointing to how our minds build such views, Stephan shares how misinformation can impact democratic discourse and policy making.

Biography

Stephan Lewandowsky is a cognitive scientist who explores how the mind works through computational modelling, that is writing computer simulations of how our memory and decision-making processes function. His current research focuses on  how people update their memories if things they believe turn out to be false, which had lead to a number of works that address the persistence of misinformation in society, and how myths and misinformation can spread.

Such work has focused on projects that aim to restore individual autonomy and democratic discourse online and examine how different conceptions of truth can be designed to protect democratic discourse.  A leading expert in his field, Stephan’s most recent work has focused on the variables that determine whether or not people accept scientific evidence, for example surrounding vaccinations or climate science Author of multiple papers and books on computational modelling, misinformation, technology and democracy, Stephan holds the Chair in Cognitive Psychology at Bristol University, UK.

Image source: Bristol University 

Date of publication

Thu 28 Mar 2024