The Power of Belief: The Psychology of Superstition (w/ Dr. Carolyn Hildebrandt)

Note: the venue of this event has been changed. The event will be held in the Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre in the Whitehead Building.

In this presentation, Dr. Hildebrandt will discuss cross-cultural research on the development of superstitions—how they are acquired, maintained, and in some cases, given up. Although most superstitions are harmless, some can be extremely dangerous. In the current climate of alternative facts, evidence-free assertions, and social media bubbles, critical thinking is of paramount importance–not only in the realm of science, but in the realm of politics as well.

Carolyn Hildebrandt is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Northern Iowa, U.S.A.  She earned her B.A. in Music at UCLA, M.A. in Educational Psychology at U.C. Davis, and Ph.D. in Human Development and Education at U.C. Berkeley, where she did a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Developmental Psychology as well. Dr. Hildebrandt is co-author of a book on constructivist early education and has published numerous articles and book chapters on cognitive, social, and musical development. Her research on the psychology of superstition is part of an interdisciplinary course she is teaching in London called “Science and Pseudoscience: Critiquing the World around You.”