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MENTAL MODEL · M5875

Merchants of Doubt

Merchants of Doubt
CollaborateHigh supportCommunication Studies
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Refers to a small group of scientists or experts, hired by interest groups, who create controversy by picking holes in scientific consensus (such as climate change, tobacco hazards) to delay the introduction of regulatory policies. Their product is not truth but 'doubt'.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Anti-science scientific strategy. When you see experts fiercely debating a topic that already has scientific consensus in the media, be alert that this may be a PR war. Creating controversy itself is to paralyze action.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

This entry is suspected to be a prudent decision-making model metaphorically based on 'merchants being skeptical of transactions, verifying rather than trusting', emphasizing replacing trust with verification under uncertainty. The specific theoretical source is yet to be verified.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchants_of_DoubtZH · Explicit
    verified

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