Beliefs and 6 Important Theories of Belief Formation

Introduction

Beliefs are fundamental cognitive structures that represent an individual’s acceptance of certain propositions or statements as true. While related to attitudes, beliefs are distinct in that they concern facts or assumptions about reality.

A belief can be defined as “an enduring piece of knowledge about an object or event” (Baron & Branscombe, 2017, p. 120).

Social psychology investigates how beliefs are formed, maintained, and changed, with significant attention to the influence of cognitive, social, and motivational processes (Baron & Branscombe, 2017).

 

Read More- Advance Social Psychology Notes

 

Structure of Beliefs

Beliefs can be isolated or form complex systems. Rokeach (1960) suggested that belief systems have central and peripheral beliefs, with central beliefs being more resistant to change due to their role in maintaining cognitive consistency.

Beliefs

Belief structure Retrieved From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0732312317301128

 

Belief Formation

Some theoretical basis for belief formation include:

  1. Direct Experience Beliefs often originate from personal experience. For instance, a person who experiences an earthquake may develop a strong belief about the unpredictability of natural disasters.
  2. Social Learning and Testimony Individuals acquire many beliefs through social transmission, relying on trusted others such as parents, teachers, or media (Bandura, 1977).
  3. Cognitive Heuristics Tversky and Kahneman (1974) identified several cognitive heuristics that affect belief formation, such as the availability heuristic (relying on easily recalled information) and the representativeness heuristic (judging based on similarity to prototypes).
  4. Belief Perseverance Once formed, beliefs tend to persist even when contradictory evidence is presented. This phenomenon, known as belief perseverance, is reinforced by confirmation bias—the tendency to favor information that supports existing beliefs (Ross, Lepper, & Hubbard, 1975).

 

Belief Change and Resistance

Some ways beliefs change include:

  • Cognitive Dissonance When individuals encounter information that conflicts with their beliefs, they may experience dissonance. To reduce this discomfort, they may reject the information, reinterpret it, or alter the belief (Festinger, 1957).
  • Motivated Reasoning Beliefs often serve identity-related goals. Kunda (1990) argued that people process information in ways that support desired conclusions, leading to resistance against belief change.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

 

Social Influence on Beliefs

Some of the social influences on beliefs include:

  • Normative Influence Group norms can shape belief expression and adoption. People often conform to group beliefs to gain acceptance or avoid rejection (Asch, 1956).
  • Informational Influence When uncertain, individuals look to others for information, assuming the group is more informed. Sherif’s (1936) autokinetic effect study illustrated how people adopt group norms in ambiguous situations.
  • Group Polarization Moscovici and Zavalloni (1969) found that group discussions lead to more extreme positions, a process known as group polarization. This intensifies beliefs and reduces openness to opposing views.
  • Belief Systems and Social Identity Beliefs contribute to social identity, reinforcing group boundaries and cohesion. Shared beliefs create a sense of belonging and distinctiveness (Tajfel & Turner, 1986).
  • Belief and Behavior Beliefs influence behavior through expectations and interpretations. For instance, believing in the efficacy of a vaccine increases the likelihood of vaccination. The expectancy-value model posits that behavior results from beliefs about outcomes and their value (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975).
Theory of Planned Behavior

Theory of Planned Behavior

 

Applications

  • Science Communication Combating misinformation requires understanding belief resistance. Strategies such as inoculation (providing counter-arguments) and prebunking (warning about misleading information) have shown promise (Lewandowsky et al., 2012).
  • Education Critical thinking and media literacy training can reduce susceptibility to false beliefs by enhancing analytical processing and skepticism.
  • Health Campaigns Correcting health myths (e.g., vaccine misinformation) involves addressing the emotional and identity-based functions of beliefs, not just factual inaccuracies.

 

Conclusion

Beliefs are powerful determinants of perception, behavior, and social interaction. Their formation and persistence are shaped by cognitive shortcuts, social influence, and motivational needs. Effective interventions must address not only informational deficits but also the psychological functions that beliefs serve.

 

References

Asch, S. E. (1956). Studies of independence and conformity: A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs, 70(9), 1–70.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Baron, R. A., & Branscombe, N. R. (2017). Social psychology (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Kunda, Z. (1990). The case for motivated reasoning. Psychological Bulletin, 108(3), 480–498.

Lewandowsky, S., Ecker, U. K. H., Seifert, C. M., Schwarz, N., & Cook, J. (2012). Misinformation and its correction: Continued influence and successful debiasing. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 13(3), 106–131.

Moscovici, S., & Zavalloni, M. (1969). The group as a polarizer of attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 12(2), 125–135.

Rokeach, M. (1960). The open and closed mind. New York: Basic Books.

Ross, L., Lepper, M. R., & Hubbard, M. (1975). Perseverance in self-perception and social perception: Biased attributional processes in the debriefing paradigm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32(5), 880–892.

Sherif, M. (1936). The psychology of social norms. New York: Harper.

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In S. Worchel & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7–24). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185(4157), 1124–1131.

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APA Citiation for refering this article:

Niwlikar, B. A. (2025, July 28). Beliefs and 6 Important Theories of Belief Formation. Careershodh. https://www.careershodh.com/beliefs-and-beliefs-formation/

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