Åsa Wikforss
Åsa Wikforss. Foto: Christer Sturmark

The main objective of this interdisciplinary programme is to investigate the nature and causes of knowledge resistance.  Researchers within philosophy, psychology, political science and media and communication research are participating in the programme. The head of the programme is Åsa Wikforss from the Department of Philosophy at Stockholm University.

Knowledge resistance is examined empirically and theoretically

The programme is unique as it is offering, for the first time, a uniform framework under which knowledge resistance can be examined in a systematic manner, both empirically and theoretically. Initially, the research group within philosophy (led by Kathrin Glüer, Stockholm University) will investigate the irrationality that is part of knowledge resistance, how a knowledge-resistant person reacts to evidence and associations

with external factors that contribute to reinforcing knowledge resistance. This work is being undertaken by the philosophers, in close collaboration with the other sub-projects.

Secondly, the psychology research group (lead by Torun Lindholm, Stockholm University) will conduct a series of experiments in order to investigate the psychological factors behind knowledge resistance. The focus will be on testing hypotheses concerning how knowledge resistance can be counteracted.

The impact of ideological beliefs

Thirdly, the political science research group (lead by Henrik Oscarsson, University of Gothenburg) will study what impact ideological beliefs have on how subjects react to evidence. The political science research group will investigate the circumstances under which these types of beliefs affect how citizens value politically relevant information in an increasingly fragmented information climate.

In a fourth stage, the media and communication researchers (lead by Jesper Strömbäck, University of Gothenburg) will investigate how disinformation is spread in traditional, digital and social media, as well as the role that our politically motivated choice of media plays in terms of knowledge resistance.

In total, ten researchers at Stockholm University received funds from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, amounting to SEK 125.9 million. For example, the programme “The Neighbourhood Revisited: Spatial polarization and social cohesion in contemporary Sweden”  lead by Bo Malmberg at the Department of Human Geography received SEK 40.2 million.