disbelief

Disbelief is the cognitive and affective stance of withholding assent to a proposition or of rejecting it as false or unlikely. It spans attitudes from cautious skepticism to explicit denial and can be temporary or persistent. Disbelief is not simply doubt; doubt refers to uncertainty about a claim, whereas disbelief involves a negative verdict about its truth or credibility. It also differs from credulity, which is a readiness to accept claims proposed by others. The term comes from dis- plus believe, with attestations in Middle English and later. In everyday language, disbelief can express incredulity at surprising events as well as principled rejection of statements.

In philosophy, disbelief is analyzed within epistemology as a stance toward evidence, warrant, and justification. Some theories treat disbelief as a mental state with content and negation similar to belief, while others emphasize behavioral or evidential implications of withholding assent.

In psychology, disbelief arises from cognitive evaluation of information, prior beliefs, and social context. Cognitive biases, such as confirmation bias or the availability heuristic, can influence whether a person disbelieves a claim. Emotion, identity, and authority also play roles, making disbelief sometimes a protective or identity-confirming response.

In social and cultural contexts, disbelief interacts with education, culture, religion, and media. It can support scientific reasoning and critical thinking or contribute to conflict when groups compete over narratives. Religious disbelief may accompany atheism or agnosticism, while in secular societies widespread disbelief about certain claims can reflect pluralism of views.

See also: belief, doubt, skepticism, denial.