Irrational beliefs consist of a psychological background and construct that might be biased to broader epistemological beliefs, including conspiracy theories and superstitions. The reasoning and behaviour of different individuals do not comply with rational ideas and norms. Irrational beliefs are mostly based on the cultural and pathological phenomena that have become widespread in the social environment. Irrational beliefs also have determinants that influence cognitive thoughts, including motivational and cognitive determinants. However, the most vital factor is cognitive based, mostly affecting an individual’s irrational thinking and behaviour. Cognitive determinants including personality traits, cognitive abilities, and reflection, which attaches to the individual. The complex interaction between an individual’s affective states, which re the anxiety and emotions, offered competitive situations that intimidate irrational beliefs (Chadha. And Slater, 2019).
Irrational thinking makes an individual think the opposite of reality, as it is perceived as what the individual is thinking and how, they interpret the information. Irrational beliefs can be described as a message that is misinterpreted or distorts reality. For example, a conspiracy theory can make an individual bend the existence of the information that led to the creation of the conspiracy theory. A belief can also be described as an irrational belief if it creates extreme emotions in the individual, which leads to distress and the individual engaging in behaviours that might harm themselves. For example, suppose an individual deems themselves powerless in solving their problems. In that case, these individuals are likely to be depressed and may choose to take away their lives, which will be the only way to solve their problems (Turner and Miller, 2019).
Three levels of thinking have guidelines that guide individuals on how they react to life. The inference is one level of thinking which involves inferring or making facts about an event or situation to understand what is going on. Irrational beliefs arise from assumptions if an individual only utilises black and white thinking, seeing things through all or nothing thinking. This type of thinking filters the event to either good or bad, and hence individuals are likely to have irrational beliefs from ignorance of the happenings. Individuals are likely to overgeneralise through inferring; for example, an individual can have a ludicrous idea of “everything is going wrong.” This is from concluding to one situation that went wrong, hence overgeneralising the problem (Balkis and Duru, 2019).
Another level of thinking that influences irrational beliefs is evaluations, which analysing a problem to understand what it means to an individual. Irrational beliefs can arise from evaluations through people rating, which involves putting value or a label on others, thus judging others’ personality and behaviour. This type of thinking might also influence demands from an individual, where from analysing a situation, the individual might belief that certain things are meant to happen or meant to happen. Evaluation occurs when individuals have low to onone awareness of the situation, which might lead to irrational beliefs (Petrides, and Perez-Gonzale, 2017). The third level of thinking is rules, which are the existing beliefs that guide individuals on how they react to life. These beliefs exist from the specific events that have already happened that have meaning to each individual. An example of a rule that exists is “people should always do the right thing.” This rule makes an individual always want to do the right thing depsire their emotions or behaviours. However, not all the rules can be fulfilled or sustained; hence it might lead to irrational beliefs such as “I do not have to do the right thing all the time.”
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Irrational beliefs result in too many societal outcomes, including distrust in experts who have important information or events. Such societal effects include the unwillingness of individuals to participate in identifying the right information. Irrational beliefs can influence trauma on individuals who agree or live by the existing rules and ideas, which can break the social cohesion between societies. For example, the spread of conspiracies may affect a particular group in the community to create collective trauma. When there was a conspiracy theory that aliens exist globally, some individuals become more vigilant as they suspect the same. This conspiracy theory also affects the experts who may have vital information on aliens’ existence in the world. Individuals’ motivations and personality traits are also likely to be involved, where the determinants of irrational beliefs will influence rational and cognitive thinking. For example, currently, there is a conspiracy theory circulating on the COVID-19 vaccinations that are to begin worldwide (Wang et al., 2020). The approach is created by anti-vaccine believers who do not trust the vaccines. The conspiracy theory has made irrational beliefs, including that the vaccine will not be sufficient for people; hence there is no need for the public to take the vaccine. Anti-vaccine believers have also provided theories of the vaccine and the possible side-effects of the vaccine. Such conspiracy theory has led the experts who have information about the vaccine to have a second thought about its effectiveness. Such irrational beliefs affect the thinking abilities, self-control and cognitive styles, leading to an individual deviating from their ideas and norms.
Irrational beliefs play a significant role in each individual’s cognitive theory and are associated with various suborders, such as anxiety and depression. Irrational beliefs tent to distort thinking and meaning of events creating anxious and depressed emotions. The epistemological beliefs of an individual also distort an individual’s psychology, resulting in the creation of irrational beliefs. About 40% of the UK population is currently re-considering the thought of having a COVID-19 vaccine from the existing conspiracy theories of different vaccines (Wang et al, 2020). Despite the current information on the vaccines’ effectiveness, there is a probable doubt on the vaccine that has been circulated through conspiracy theories. Individuals can believe contradictory conspiracies over actual data, and this is because individuals lack information and awareness of an event; hence it is easy to agree with conspiracy theories. A neutral control group is required to help individuals understand the irrational beliefs that exist to know which one to belief and sustain and which one not to believe.
Irrational beliefs are created in the cognitive structure where individuals reconstruct events according to their understanding, which results in faulty thinking with negative thoughts. Irrational beliefs and superstitions arise due to the ignorance of individuals who limit their reasoning of events, and the lack of need to acquire knowledge also contributes to ignorance. Irrational beliefs have no basis, as they are based on the effortless reasoning of events. Irrational beliefs also act as barriers to development, where individuals prefer to stick to an idea despite sufficient information that speaks against the event. Individuals must seek factual details of a possibility to get the right information, for example, in the rise of anti-vaccinators of the COVID-19 vaccine (Wang et al, 2020). Individuals are required to understand the available scientific information before making irrational decisions about not getting the vaccine.
Experts in different fields of study should be involved in eradicating irrational beliefs, and the best and acceptable way is to enlighten individuals to reduce ignorance. Experts can accomplish this by providing sound education through training and providing vital information to individuals within society. Even though some superstitions and conspiracy thoeries are embedded into an individual’s mind, experts need to challenge ignorant minds to enhance widespread thinking or events or situations. Baseless information is caused by ignorance.
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