Sowing doubt - debunking myths: Scientific facts and consensus attack strategies countermeasures

The development of strategies to counter misinformation is an important task of social psychology. There is a need to develop interventions that can be applied in practice. Such interventions should be based on scientific theories and empirical research. Taking into account the historical origins of myths within the fields of philosophy and linguistics, as well as the theoretical background and empirical studies in social psychology, this section provides an insight into social psychological research. The questions, which are posed and discussed on an interdisciplinary basis, are as follows: How does a myth arise? How do stereotypes, prejudices and 'false memories' work? How are memory processes controlled, and how are thoughts suppressed or erased? Which strategies for combating the myth are recommended in practice and ethically justifiable? The findings of empirical research suggest that the following points should be borne in mind: focus on the facts rather than the myth, provide an alternative explanation, and avoid mentioning the myth.