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What Is Belief Perseverance? Definition and Examples
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Paula Winkler / Getty Images

By Cynthia Vinney
Updated on October 30, 2019
Belief perseverance is the tendency to maintain one’s beliefs even in the face of evidence that contradicts them. We see this tendency with all kinds of beliefs, including those about the self and others, as well as beliefs about the way the world works, including prejudices and stereotypes.


Key Takeaways: Belief Perseverance
Belief perseverance is the tendency to cling to one’s beliefs even when presented with information disproving them.
There are three kinds of belief perseverance: self-impressions, social impressions, and social theories.
Belief perseverance is difficult to overcome, but learning about the existence of this bias and thinking of explanations that support an opposing belief can help reduce it.