Distinguishing fact from fiction

[Zzyzx]

.
A recent study published in Cognitive Science indicates that children from religious environments are less able to distinguish fantasy characters and events from factual than are children from non-religious environments..

Children with exposure to religion " via church attendance, parochial schooling, or both " judged [characters in religious stories] to be real, the authors wrote. By contrast, children with no such exposure judged them to be pretend, just as they had the characters in fairy tales. But children with exposure to religion judged many characters in fantastical, but not explicitly religious stories, to also be real " the equivalent of being incapable of differentiating between Mark Twains character Tom Sawyer and an account of George Washingtons life.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/18/r ... m-fiction/

Questions for debate:

1) What are the implications of this study?

2) Might the same hold true for adults?

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 7 by dianaiad]

The purpose of the study is not to show whether religious upbringing was good or bad. They essentially used the secular children as a control to address the question on how religious teaching effects the mind. In this particular case the control group correctly identifies fictional stories. In the test group their ability to differentiate between fact and fiction is reduced.

If you don't like the results sorry the results don't care if you like them or not they just are. it also reflects observational studies as well. Multiple studies have shown that Indian adults and children who watched fictional shows about Hindu gods believed they were real. In other words they could not differentiate between an actor/special effects and a hindu god(fiction).

Are the results really that shocking?

Can you explain the benefits of having a reduced ability to differentiate between fact and fiction?

[connermt]

[Replying to post 11 by DanieltheDragon]

The purpose of studies such as this are irrelevant to many people - they will see what they want to see and make it true in their own mind.
Are the results shocking? It depends on whom is asked and what they want to accept or deny. For me, it is kinda' shocking but I suppose I have higher standards than most people are capable of these days.

[Star]

I have a deeply Catholic gay friend who has significant difficulty discerning fact from fiction. Most his family is like this, especially his parents. He was taught Biblical literalism since he can remember.

Last year he became angry because I didn't believe the "chemtrail" conspiracy theory (ie. the government is spraying us when chemicals). He yelled, "Wake up!" He thought I was just ignorant, and brainwashed by my university.

He has HIV and once stopped taking his medication in hope of a miracle. He just became sick. All the praying and worship didn't help. While his numbers were high, he may have transmitted it to others, as he's extremely promiscuous (although Jesus forgives him). As a taxpayer, I have to help foot the bill for these dysfunctions.

Of course, it also didn't make him stop being gay, which is no surprise. At the age of 37, he's only now realizing this, but lately he's starting to relapse on religion and conspiracy theories, albeit gay- and medicine-friendly versions.

When one can't tell fact from fiction, there are dangerous consequences.