When the Truth Isn't Always the Truth -- Or So They Think

Now who does this sound like?

Fake news.  Alternative facts.  The truth isn't always the truth.

The sad truth is that, even when people are presented with facts, supported by evidence, some of them still choose not to believe them.

In the case of the president, that's because he doesn't always like the facts.  But when you're talking about other people, in an era of fact-checking and "alternative facts," many simply choose not to believe research findings and other established facts, according to a new paper co-authored by a professor at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, as reported by newswise.com.

"A growing body of evidence suggests that even when individuals are aware of research findings supported by a vast majority of studies, they often choose not to believe them," writes Ernest O'Boyle, ssociate professor of management and entrepreneurship, and two co-authors in the Journal of Management.

"There are reasons for growing alarm about the disbelief of scientific findings across a wide range of professional domains because it seems to reflect a much broader drop in the credibility of academics and scientists," he adds.

In an editorial commentary, O'Boyle and two professors at the University of Iowa -- Sara Rynes and Amy Colbert -- explain why people often don't believe research findings.

"Some public distrust comes from a rapid rise in studies suggesting that current research findings aren't as robust as previously thought," the web site notes. "Reasons range from innocent causes, such as undetected analytical errors, to occasional questionable research practices. But the authors also point to 'well-funded, concerted efforts to discredit solid scientific research for self-interested political, ideological or economic ends.'"

This trend affects American business and the workplace because managers are less likely to look to academic research for advice or apply empirically validated best practices. For example, they may fail to embrace the view that intelligence is the single best predictor of job performance, which has been widely proven through research.

"Research suggesting the benefits of diversifying the labor force or promoting women or minorities into leadership positions is likely to threaten the vested interests of members of currently overrepresented groups while raising the hopes and aspirations of others," they say. "Many people are also likely to use motivated reasoning when evaluating research-based claims about the causes and consequences of pay inequity."

But it's not all our fault.  To address these challenges, O'Boyle and his colleagues explain that business researchers should broaden the range of research to focus on bigger, more important problems and consider more emphasis on needs of customers, employees, local communities, the environment and society as a whole. They need to find opportunities to co-create research with practitioners, beyond their simply providing data and other information.

Would this solve Trump's problems with the truth?  Maybe not.