Truth decay : an initial exploration of the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life / Jennifer Kavanagh, Michael D. Rich.

By:

Kavanagh, Jennifer, 1981- [author.]

Contributor(s):

Rich, Michael D [author.]

Material type: Text

TextPublisher: Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND Corporation, [2018]Description: 1 online resource (xxiii, 301 pages)Content type:

text

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

ISBN:

9781977400154
1977400159

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Electronic books.

Additional physical formats: Print version:: Truth decay.DDC classification:

306.20973 23

LOC classification:

JK1726 .K36 2018

Online resources:

Click here to access online

Contents:

Introduction -- Truth Decay's four trends -- Historical context: is Truth Decay new? -- Drivers: what is causing Truth Decay? -- The consequences of Truth Decay -- The road to solutions: a research agenda -- Additional information about our methodology.

Summary: Over the past two decades, national political and civil discourse in the United States has been characterized by "Truth Decay," defined as a set of four interrelated trends: an increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data; a blurring of the line between opinion and fact; an increase in the relative volume, and resulting influence, of opinion and personal experience over fact; and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. These trends have many causes, but this report focuses on four: characteristics of human cognitive processing, such as cognitive bias; changes in the information system, including social media and the 24-hour news cycle; competing demands on the education system that diminish time spent on media literacy and critical thinking; and polarization, both political and demographic. The most damaging consequences of Truth Decay include the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengagement of individuals from political and civic institutions, and uncertainty over national policy. This report explores the causes and consequences of Truth Decay and how they are interrelated, and examines past eras of U.S. history to identify evidence of Truth Decay's four trends and observe similarities with and differences from the current period. It also outlines a research agenda, a strategy for investigating the causes of Truth Decay and determining what can be done to address its causes and consequences.

Item type:

Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Home library	Collection	Call number	Materials specified	Status	Date due	Barcode
Electronic-Books	OPJGU Sonepat- Campus	E-Books EBSCO			Available

Includes bibliographical references.

Over the past two decades, national political and civil discourse in the United States has been characterized by "Truth Decay," defined as a set of four interrelated trends: an increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data; a blurring of the line between opinion and fact; an increase in the relative volume, and resulting influence, of opinion and personal experience over fact; and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. These trends have many causes, but this report focuses on four: characteristics of human cognitive processing, such as cognitive bias; changes in the information system, including social media and the 24-hour news cycle; competing demands on the education system that diminish time spent on media literacy and critical thinking; and polarization, both political and demographic. The most damaging consequences of Truth Decay include the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengagement of individuals from political and civic institutions, and uncertainty over national policy. This report explores the causes and consequences of Truth Decay and how they are interrelated, and examines past eras of U.S. history to identify evidence of Truth Decay's four trends and observe similarities with and differences from the current period. It also outlines a research agenda, a strategy for investigating the causes of Truth Decay and determining what can be done to address its causes and consequences.

Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 24, 2018).

eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - Worldwide

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.