ABSTRACT
The uncritical acceptance of false or misleading beliefs is often influenced by subconscious affective reactions. This chapter will describe some of the psychological mechanisms responsible for the biasing effects of affect and mood on gullibility and skepticism. A series of experimental studies will be presented showing that mild affective states can influence perceptions of truth, the willingness to believe misleading information, the tendency to trust interpersonal messages, the detection of deception, and the tendency to see meaning in random or meaningless “bullshit” information. The theoretical significance of these studies will be discussed, and the practical implications of affectively induced gullibility will be considered.
