ABSTRACT
Human behavior is strongly influenced by what we believe to be true. Prejudiced individuals who think that other groups (Jews, Blacks, the United States government) are evil and subhuman have committed horrendous acts of brutality and terrorism. A student who regards a theory of personality as an exciting new approach is likely to learn more than a student who views it as hopelessly confused jargon. If you detect a small lump on your chest, your behavior will be very different depending on whether you interpret this symptom as cancer or as only a wart.
