What's So Wrong with Being Absolutely Right: The Dangerous Nature of Dogmatic Belief

Johnson (psychology, Mount Royal College, Canada) argues the dangers of dogmatic belief and examines the factors, both intrinsic and formative, that lead humans to believe in an absolute truth. The author presents models to explain dogmatism as a personality trait, drawing from traditional and contemporary personality theories, biopsychology, social learning theory, Buddhism, and evolutionary psychology. Specific topics include: a historical background of dogmatism, influential factors that shape adult dogmatism, cognitive and behavioral characteristics, the question of whether man is hardwired to short-circuit reason, neoronal hardware and dogmatism, developmental theory on critical milestones of the first two years that contribute to dogmatic belief, and psychodynamic perspectives on the phenomenon. The final chapter proposes brief recommendations for getting to the heart of the problems posed by dogmatism in early childhood, throughout education, and in structures at the national and international levels. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Judy J. Johnson (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is professor of psychology at Mount Royal College and the author of Suicide Intervention Program: A Group Facilitator’s Manual.