ABSTRACT
The closedness of a belief system is defined as the extent to which the individual can receive, evaluate, and apply information taken from the surrounding environment. Socially important beliefs are those which are socially or culturally shared. And the sharing of beliefs by groups and communities is an important means of establishing their truthfulness, in accordance with the long-established psychological principle of social proof. Studies from around the world have demonstrated the regulative significance of beliefs about the legitimacy of the social, economic, and political system for the effective functioning of the state. The activation of one of these elements in a system thus organized leads to the activation of other content associated with it. In this manner, beliefs emerge as the basis for our conduct in various spheres of life. Closedness or openness of one’s mind is thus de facto closedness or openness of one’s belief system.
