prior beliefs
11Brainwashing — (also known as thought reform or as re education) consists of any effort aimed at instilling certain attitudes and beliefs in a person beliefs sometimes unwelcome or in conflict with the person s prior beliefs and knowledge, [For a medical (as… …
12Religious studies — Various religious symbols Religious studies is the academic field of multi disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic,… …
13Statistical inference — In statistics, statistical inference is the process of drawing conclusions from data that are subject to random variation, for example, observational errors or sampling variation.[1] More substantially, the terms statistical inference,… …
14Empirical Bayes method — In statistics, empirical Bayes methods are a class of methods which use empirical data to evaluate / approximate the conditional probability distributions that arise from Bayes theorem. These methods allow one to estimate quantities… …
15Reality tunnel — is a term coined by Timothy Leary and popularised by Robert Anton Wilson. The theory states that, with a subconscious set of mental filters formed from their beliefs and experiences, every individual interprets this same world differently, hence… …
16Cults in Our Midst —   …
17disconfirmation bias — n. The tendency to actively refute or discount evidence that challenges a belief. Example Citations: In other words, when we think we re reasoning, we may instead be rationalizing. Or to use an analogy offered by University of Virginia… …
18exchange theory — Exchange theories view social order as the unplanned outcome of acts of exchange between members of society. There are two major variants. Rational choice (or, as it is sometimes known, rational action) theory locates the source of order in the… …
19The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion — Infobox Book name = The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion image caption = author = John Zaller illustrator = cover artist = country = language = English series = subject = genre = publisher = Cambridge University Press release date = 1992 08 28… …
20Necktie paradox — The necktie paradox is a puzzle or paradox within the subjectivistic interpretation of probability theory. It is a variation (and historically, the origin) of the two envelope paradox. Two men are each given a necktie by their respective wives as …
