A political psychology expert will visit UF this week to discuss how people form beliefs and how they influence voting.
Jonathan Haidt, author of “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion,” will speak at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. The event is free and open to the public. It will also be streamed live at www.bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu.
Haidt has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, according to a press release. He has also written more than 80 academic articles.
In his book, Haidt asserts that people’s intuition, rather than their reason, impacts the moral foundations of political positions, according to the release.
This explains why people believe what they do about moral, political issues, said Shelby Taylor, digital communications director at the Graham Center.
“If students take anything away from this speech, it’s recognizing the danger of the hyperpartisan divide that is becoming so prevalent in this country,” Taylor said. “The demonizing of each other that consequently occurs poses a serious issue for our country.”
