ABSTRACT
Hyman's chapter explores the only one in the Sternberg book that moves beyond domain modularity and which addresses the question of how one can be smart in a domain at Time 1 but stupid in the same domain at Time 2. Gullibility is a complexly determined, and little studied, phenomenon that has many causes. Whereas gullibility involves some behavioral outcome, in that people demonstrate that they are tricked by doing something tangible, credulity is more a state of mind or belief. Gullibility can be viewed as a form of stupidity, so it is probably the case that cognitive factors play an important role in explaining gullibility toward treatment fads. Discussions of human service fads tend to emphasize their lack of evidence concerning treatment efficacy. Thus, even without considering affective, personality, or situational factors, it is very possible to imagine that an academically gifted person may have cognitive limitations that contribute to gullibility or credulity.
