Understanding the World: Worldview — The Forces That Influence Belief, Values, and Understanding
An Exploration of How Life Experiences, Culture, and Psychological Mechanisms Form Our Perception of Reality
Note: This essay was prepared with the research assistance and ghostwriting of ChatGPT 4.0. It was based on my decades long lifetime of reading and investigating these topics. So, the ideas are mine, right or wrong, I own them.
Author's Preface
Reflection on Understanding the World:
As a few people may know, I try to understand the world from a psychological and epistemological perspective. I'm also very concerned with humanistic issues; freedom of thought, freedom of speech, and freedom of behavior are key issues for me. I object strongly to totalitarianism and authoritarianism in all its guises, and I seek to have a world that is more in line with my my humanistic values.
I often discuss political issues and other matters with friends and acquaintances, and I'm often dismayed to see how differently their worldview is from mine.
I try to retain skepticism towards all that I hear and read, including my own thoughts and my own ideas. I remind myself that the views of mankind may be mistaken, quite radically mistaken, and I'm part of mankind. I like the slogan, 'don't believe everything you think.' I can't always live up to that, as we do form beliefs. It's inevitable. It's necessary. We couldn't exist without them.
One thing that will strike any moderately reflective individual is how radically different views can develop among family members, siblings, and children. Sometimes this is dismaying. You raise children up in a particular worldview, thinking it to be the correct one, and they depart radically from it. You could call it rebellion, but I suspect that's not really what's going on. People develop independently. They come to understand the world in very different terms. These terms may not align with your view of things. They may not align with your values. Perhaps some of this is determined by genetics, by temperament, by other factors. I'm not sure, but it is one of the most curious things, and quite frequently distressing, that children do not adhere to your values. I guess that’s not necessarily a bad thing, if they are good people.
Another thing that we've noticed over time is that our own opinions can change quite radically as we are exposed to different ideas. We think things through. We come to different conclusions. We also see that in family members, spouses, and colleagues, that their beliefs mutate over time. I won't necessarily say that they evolve to a better state, but they mutate. They differ over time. Perhaps they're more correct, perhaps they're less correct. That's the epistemological issue—determining what's true and what's false. We don't have a good handle on that. Lots of theories, lots of speculation, but very little clarity. We have problems of understanding in the abstract realm. We're pretty good on the concrete, of course. But beliefs differ from generation to generation, society to society, culture to culture, and individual to individual. Worldviews mutate—not necessarily for the better.
Since we differ so much in our beliefs, I should look for the determinants of belief. I also look hard at why it is that we become so invested in our beliefs. I'll talk about that in a subsequent topic: investment in beliefs, proselytizing, shunning, and cancel culture. This is really, nothing new, by the way. It’s been going on for millennia; we just have a different name for it.
So, I turn to ChatGPT to try to clarify some of my thoughts and produce an essay on the topic of worldview—what it is, and how it’s formed.
Introduction: What We Mean by Worldview
A worldview encompasses an individual's understandings, beliefs, values, and biases about the world. These components shape how we perceive, interpret, and respond to life events. Importantly, worldviews may be right, they may be wrong; they are subjective lenses through which we understand our environment. Each person's worldview is a product of diverse influences—personal experiences, social and cultural norms, psychological mechanisms, and external interactions.
Worldview Formation
Worldview formation is a dynamic and multifaceted process. It involves biological predispositions, social experiences, personal growth, and exposure to new ideas. Here we explore the key factors that contribute to how worldviews develop and change over time, considering the following influences.
1. Species Commonalities
Humans share certain biological and psychological foundations that contribute to belief formation. These universal traits, such as language acquisition, emotional development, and social bonding, form the bedrock for how worldviews are constructed. However, despite these commonalities, individual experiences and social contexts significantly shape how each person’s worldview diverges from others.
2. Individual Genetic Determinism
While genetic predispositions can influence personality and cognitive styles, the environment and social experiences play a much larger role in shaping belief systems. Genetic predispositions may explain certain temperamental tendencies, but most beliefs are molded through interactions with one’s surroundings and the people within them (Schwartz, 2012).
3. Life Influences
Language Exposure: Language serves as the framework for how we categorize and interpret the world. Early language exposure significantly impacts cognitive and worldview development.
Parental and Familial Interactions: Families normally instill the first worldviews in their children, passing down beliefs, values, and perspectives. As children grow, they may depart from these early worldviews due to external influences.
Social Circles: As individuals grow older, interactions with peers and other social groups broaden their perspectives, sometimes leading to belief changes. The influence of friends and social networks often plays a central role in modifying previously held beliefs.
Formal Education: Structured learning in educational settings exposes individuals to diverse ideas, cultures, and knowledge, contributing significantly to worldview formation.
4. Cultural and Societal Norms
Culture and societal values impose a significant influence on how individuals form their worldviews. Schwartz’s Theory of Values (2012) proposes that individuals internalize values such as tradition, self-direction, and benevolence based on their culture’s prevailing social norms. These values serve as a guiding force in shaping individual worldviews (Schwartz, 2012).
5. Historical Context
The time period in which one grows up profoundly influences worldview. Historical events such as wars, technological advances, and social movements leave indelible marks on how societies and individuals see the world. A person living through a period of rapid social change may develop a more flexible worldview, while those growing up in more stable times may hold more rigid beliefs.
6. Media and Modern Influencers
The modern media landscape, including social media, plays a pivotal role in shaping beliefs and worldviews. Public figures, online influencers, and news outlets regularly introduce new ideas or reinforce existing ones. The sheer volume of media exposure means that worldviews can be molded subtly over time. Individuals may not even recognize how much their beliefs are influenced by the media they consume. They may very unaware of media bias as will as sloppy and underinformed thinking. They may be naive about propagandistic nature of media. This is as much true of the alternative media as it is of mainstream media.
7. Pragmatic Issues in Social Interaction
When worldviews clash, social interactions can become strained. People often try to avoid conflict by agreeing to disagree, but in cases where beliefs are strongly held, this can create ongoing tension. Disagreements over core values or beliefs can lead to social awkwardness or even the dissolution of relationships if not managed pragmatically (Festinger, 1957). This underscores the importance of understanding how deeply rooted worldviews are in individual identity and self-perception.
Psychological Frameworks Explaining Belief Change
Several psychological theories help explain how and why people’s beliefs change:
1. Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1957)
People experience psychological discomfort when they hold two conflicting beliefs or when their beliefs and actions are misaligned. This discomfort, known as cognitive dissonance, can prompt individuals to change their beliefs or behaviors to restore internal consistency. This is one of the most powerful motivators for belief change (Festinger, 1957).
2. Self-Perception Theory (Bem, 1972)
According to self-perception theory, people develop or change their beliefs by observing their own behavior. Rather than beliefs driving behavior, behavior can often shape beliefs, especially in ambiguous situations where a person’s attitudes are not firmly established (Bem, 1972).
3. Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986)
This model explains belief change through two routes: the central route, which involves thoughtful consideration of information, and the peripheral route, which relies on superficial cues such as emotional appeal or the credibility of the source. Beliefs changed through the central route tend to be more lasting (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986).
4. Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1979)
Social Identity Theory posits that individuals derive part of their identity from the groups they belong to. When someone shifts their social group or adopts a new social identity, their beliefs may change to align with the values and norms of the new group (Tajfel, 1979).
5. Transformational Learning Theory (Mezirow, 1991)
Transformational Learning Theory suggests that people change their beliefs through critical reflection and significant life experiences. When individuals encounter "disorienting dilemmas" that challenge their worldview, they may undergo a profound transformation in how they see the world. This change is driven by deep reflection on previously held assumptions, leading to new perspectives that align better with new experiences or information (Mezirow, 1991).
Summary
Belief and worldview formation is a dynamic process shaped by various internal and external influences. Biological factors, cultural and societal norms, historical context, social interactions, and media exposure all play a role in shaping how people see the world. Over time, psychological mechanisms such as cognitive dissonance, self-perception, and social identity work to reinforce or modify these beliefs. While some belief changes occur gradually, others are sparked by significant life events, new information, or shifts in social identity. Understanding these psychological frameworks provides insight into why people hold the beliefs they do, and how these beliefs can evolve throughout life.
References
Bem, D. J. (1972). Self-Perception Theory. Academic Press. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065260108600246
Commentary: Bem’s theory provides a framework for understanding belief formation by suggesting that individuals often infer their beliefs from their behavior, particularly in ambiguous or uncertain situations.
Festinger, L. (1957). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford University Press. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1993-97948-000
Commentary: Festinger’s seminal work on cognitive dissonance provides insight into the psychological discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs and explains how individuals are motivated to resolve this tension by changing their beliefs.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass. https://www.amazon.ca/Transformative-Dimensions-Adult-Learning-Mezirow/dp/1555423396
Commentary: Mezirow’s work on transformative learning theory explains how disorienting dilemmas and reflective dialogue lead to profound changes in beliefs, especially in adult learners.
Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communication and Persuasion: Central and Peripheral Routes to Attitude Change. Springer-Verlag. https://richardepetty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1986-jpsp-cacioppopettykaorodriguez.pdf
Commentary: This book presents the Elaboration Likelihood Model, which explains how beliefs are shaped through both careful thought (central route) and more superficial influences (peripheral route).
Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Psychology and Culture, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1116
Commentary: This paper provides a comprehensive introduction to Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values, which identifies ten broad value types that guide human behavior. These values, such as security, self-direction, and benevolence, are culturally universal but vary in importance across societies, making them essential to understanding worldview formation and individual motivations.
Tajfel, H. (1979). Social Identity and Intergroup Behavior. Academic Press. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/053901847401300204
Commentary: Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory explains how group membership influences belief systems, providing insight into how shifting social affiliations can lead to changes in worldview.