Self-Deception & Collective Deception

Summary: This study investigates why people exhibit the bias blind spot—the tendency to see oneself as less biased than others—testing cognitive sophistication, introspection bias, and conversational processes as explanations, with direct implications for understanding self-deception and failures in metacognitive awareness.

Summary: Kevin Lynch argues that the pragmatic hypothesis testing theory of self-deception likely models acceptance rather than belief, challenging its relevance to explaining self-deception. The article suggests that doxastic error costs may contribute to an evolutionary explanation of some forms of self-deception.

Summary: Gibson critiques existing models of self-deception and argues that many cases are best understood as epistemic omissions, where subjects unconsciously form comforting beliefs and then fail to correct them for motivated reasons, thereby reconciling psychological plausibility with personal responsibility.

Summary: This audio and video recording by David Bohm examines the pervasive phenomenon of self-deception across individual, group, and societal contexts, drawing connections to identity processes and advanced metacognition. Its analysis is relevant to understanding how self-deception shapes thought, conflict, and collective awareness.