What is belief perseverance, and how can one negate its negative impact? How do beliefs help people cope with traumatic events?

Once beliefs form, they are resistant to change. This is true even of false beliefs that have been discredited. This effect is called belief perseverance. The good news is that there is a remedy for belief perseverance. Explaining the opposite theory (e.g., why a cautious person might make a better firefighter than a risk-taking person)reduces or eliminates belief perseverance. If one wants to understand things correctly, it is good to cultivate the habit of trying out the opposite theory to whatever theory you initially believe. Note that this trick makes use of the social cognition principle that reasoning is for arguing. To get a balanced, unbiased view in your mind, it helps to try to argue both sides. Put another way, try to play the "devil's advocate,"-the popular phrase referring to deliberately arguing the opposite side.
Beliefs help people understand the world around them. This is especially apparent when people experience serious problems, such as misfortunes or disasters. The general term for how people attempt to deal with traumas and go back to functioning effectively in life is coping . Mental processes play a central role in helping people cope with and recover from misfortunes. A broad theory of cognitive coping was put forward by Shelley Taylor, who outlined several kinds of beliefs that need to be bolstered or restored in the wake of trauma. Religious beliefs can help people to cope with stress.