Train Your Mind to Be Open: Simple Nudges Boost Open-Minded Thinking and Truth-Sensing, New Study Finds
A recent pair of experiments shows a tiny nudge can noticeably sharpen people’s ability to think openly and distinguish fact from fiction. The intervention is straightforward: a brief message that highlights the value of weighing evidence followed by a heads-up about common thinking traps. After that, participants were more likely to question their own assumptions, consider alternative viewpoints, and resist overconfident, one-sided conclusions. The ripple effects were tangible: fewer people embraced conspiracy theories, and in the second study, participants showed improved accuracy in judging what is true versus false. The takeaway is clear and surprisingly practical: open-minded thinking isn’t fixed; it can be trained with small, easy-to-implement mental habits.