Rational revision?
Bridging computational, empirical, and theoretical perspectives on belief updating and polarisation

Wednesday, July 22
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @ CogSci 2026

About the Workshop

This workshop brings together researchers from cognitive science, philosophy, political science, and psychology to explore how, when, and why people update their beliefs—and why these processes so often lead to belief polarisation. By bridging computational, empirical, and theoretical perspectives, we aim to unify diverse explanations of polarisation (ranging from motivated reasoning and cognitive constraints to rational causal differences) and examine their implications for theories of learning, social epistemology, and epistemic trust.

Organisers

Rebekah A. Gelpí
Johns Hopkins University
University of Toronto
Daphna Buchsbaum
Brown University
Jens Koed Madsen
London School of Economics
David J. Young
University of Cambridge
Birkbeck, University of London

Confirmed Speakers

Presenter
Saoirse Connor Desai
Virtual
Consensus, repetition, and sensitivity to source dependence
Presenter
Gordon Brown
University of Warwick
The importance of out-group differentiation in issue alignment and polarisation
Presenter
Ulrike Hahn
Birkbeck, University of London
Misinformation and polarization are system-level problems
Presenter
Steven Sloman
Brown University
Ignorance, sacred values, and polarization
Presenter
Arthur Prat-Carrabin
Harvard University
Imprecise beliefs, polarized beliefs
Presenter
David Lagnado
University College London
The causal dynamics of belief change
Presenter
Manikya Alister
UC Berkeley
Understanding online polarisation using a custom social media platform
Presenter
Laura K. Globig
New York University
How AI can circumvent bias in information-seeking
Presenter
Cailin O'Connor
UC Irvine
Many paths to polarization
Moderator
Joaquin Navajas
Universidad Torcuato Di Tella

Workshop Schedule

Time (UTC–3) Session / Speaker
08:30 Opening remarks
08:40 Saoirse Connor Desai
09:00 Manikya Alister
09:20 Laura K. Globig
09:40 Group discussion
10:00 Coffee break
10:30 Steven Sloman
10:50 Arthur Prat-Carrabin
11:10 Gordon Brown
11:30 Group discussion
12:00 Lunch break
13:00 Flash Talks
13:40 Group discussion
14:00 Breakout groups
14:30 Coffee break
15:00 David Lagnado
15:20 Ulrike Hahn
15:40 Cailin O'Connor
16:00 Group discussion
16:20 Closing remarks

Call for Posters & Flash Talks

We invite submissions for posters and flash talks highlighting new theoretical, computational, or empirical research touching on the topics of belief change, updating, and polarisation. We also welcome submissions for posters that have been accepted at the main conference that are relevant to the themes of the workshop.

Submit Your Proposal