Further Reading: The Zombie Idea

Essential

Quiggin, J. (2010). Zombie Economics: How Dead Ideas Still Walk Among Us. Princeton University Press. Applies the zombie idea concept to economics specifically, examining dead ideas (efficient market hypothesis, trickle-down economics, privatization) that continue to shape policy. (Tier 1)

Pashler, H. et al. (2008). "Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence." Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119. The definitive debunking of learning styles. Clear, methodical, and devastating — yet insufficient to kill the zombie. Essential for understanding why evidence isn't enough. (Tier 1)

Zombie Ideas Across Fields

Goldacre, B. (2008). Bad Science. Fourth Estate. Covers multiple zombie ideas in health and medicine, including homeopathy, detox diets, and vitamin megadosing. Accessible and entertaining. (Tier 1)

Lilienfeld, S. O. et al. (2009). 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology. Wiley-Blackwell. A comprehensive catalog of zombie ideas in psychology, from the 10% brain myth to the "opposites attract" myth. Each myth is debunked with evidence — and most persist despite the debunking. (Tier 1)

The Polygraph

National Research Council (2003). The Polygraph and Lie Detection. National Academies Press. The definitive assessment. Available free online. Essential for understanding why the highest-level debunking can fail to kill a zombie. (Tier 1)

Prebunking and Inoculation

Research on "inoculation theory" — using exposure to weakened forms of misinformation to build resistance — has been conducted by multiple groups, with promising results for both political misinformation and science denial. Key contributors include Sander van der Linden and Jon Roozenbeek. (Tier 2)

For Instructors

Chapter 16 works well as a Part II capstone exercise. Present students with the zombie resilience matrix (empty) and ask them to score a specific zombie idea against all seven mechanisms. Then compare scores across the class. The exercise synthesizes everything from Part II into a single diagnostic application.

The learning styles debate makes an excellent classroom activity: present the debunking evidence, then present the persistence data (90% of teachers still believe). Ask students: why doesn't the evidence work? The gap between "the evidence is clear" and "the belief persists" is the entire content of Part II in a single case.