DrSaoirse (Searsha) Connor Desai

Saoirse is a cognitive psychologist who investigates how people think and form beliefs, especially in determining which information to trust. Her primary focus is on how individuals use cues like the reliability of the source, the frequency of exposure to information, and the level of agreement or disagreement among different sources. She examines how these factors influence individuals' perceptions of the intentions and expertise of information sources, as well as how they contribute to the acceptance of claims made by those sources.

To explore these ideas, she conducts experiments to examine how indicators of credibility and agreement impact decision-making in real-world contexts. Her findings are crucial for understanding misinformation, especially in legal, health, and political contexts. They also aid in developing strategies to mitigate the effects of misinformation.

Originally from the UK, Saoirse earned her PhD from City, University of London, in 2018. Her doctoral research focused on why people continue to believe misinformation even after it has been corrected. After completing her PhD, she worked at the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney, where she explored how beliefs about the generation of evidence affect our perceptions of information. She has also been exploring the prevalence and impact of misleading information related to sexual and reproductive health.