Repeating is not believing: the transmission of conspiracy theories

Diogenes ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 039219212094560
Author(s):  
Sylvain Delouvée

Conspiracy theories and rumors, as forms manifesting “social thought” (Rouquette, 1973), share processes and functions. The few studies dealing specifically with the question of belief in rumors questioned the link between adhesion and transmission (Allport & Lepkin 1943; Rosnow, 1991; Guerin & Miyazaki, 2006). The aim here will be to question the link between « knowledge », « adhesion » and « transmission » in conspiracy theories and rumors through two empirical studies. Can we know and transmit without adhering to? Can one know and adhere to without transmitting? Can we adhere to and transmit without actually « knowing »?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolores Albarracin ◽  
Julia Albarracin ◽  
Man-pui Sally Chan ◽  
Kathleen Hall Jamieson

Conspiracy theories spread more widely and faster than ever before. Fear and uncertainty prompt people to believe false narratives of danger and hidden plots, but are not sufficient without considering the role and ideological bias of the media. This timely book focuses on making sense of how and why some people respond to their fear of a threat by creating or believing conspiracy stories. It integrates insights from psychology, political science, communication, and information sciences to provide a complete overview and theory of how conspiracy beliefs manifest. Through this multi-disciplinary perspective, rigoros research develops and tests a practical, simple way to frame and understand conspiracy theories. The book supplies unprecedented amounts of new data from six empirical studies and unpicks the complexity of the process that leads to the empowerment of conspiracy beliefs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Riedl ◽  
Carsten Schwemmer ◽  
Sandra Ziewiecki ◽  
Lisa M. Ross

Despite an increasing information overflow in the era of digital communication, influencers manage to draw the attention of their followers with an authentic and casual appearance. Reaching large audiences on social media, they can be considered as digital opinion leaders. In the past, they predominantly appeared as experts for topics like fashion, sports, or gaming and used their status to cooperate with brands for marketing purposes. However, since recently influencers also turn towards more meaningful and political content. In this article, we share our perspective on the rise of political influencers using examples of sustainability and related topics covered on Instagram. By applying a qualitative observational approach, we illustrate how influencers make political communication look easy, while at the same time seamlessly integrating product promotions in their social media feeds. In this context, we discuss positive aspects of political influencers like contributions to education and political engagement, but also negative aspects such as the potential amplification of radical political ideology or conspiracy theories. We conclude by highlighting political influencers as an important research topic for conceptual and empirical studies in the future.


Author(s):  
Т.А. Нестик

В статье анализируются возможные социально-психологические последствия пандемии COVID-19. На основе собственных эмпирических исследований, а также обзора научной литературы, связанной с психологическими последствиями пандемии и другими природными рисками, рассматриваются их психологические эффекты и экономические последствия на нескольких уровнях социально-психологического анализа: внутриличностном, межличностном, групповом, межгрупповом и макропсихологическом, то есть в масштабах всего общества. Анализируется влияние тревоги, страха смерти, воспринимаемая неконтролируемость угрозы на соблюдение групповых норм, а также ценностные ориентации и подверженность влиянию конспирологических теорий. Рассматривается воздействие вынужденной изоляции, а также страха заражения и физического дистанцирования на близкие отношения, доверие к людям, межличностную мобильность, принятие групповых решений в малых группах и поляризацию в сетевых сообществах. Анализируются причины стигматизации и роста межгрупповой напряженности в условиях пандемии. Среди ее долгосрочных эффектов отмечается снижение институционального доверия, рост социального пессимизма и вероятность сдвига общества к консервативным ценностям и поддержке авторитарных политиков. С опорой на результаты исследований предлагается ряд рекомендаций по повышению жизнеспособности российского общества в условиях пандемии, в том числе по снижению подверженности дезинформации и веры в теории заговора, предотвращению стигматизации и поддержке соблюдения санитарно-эпидемиологических требований. Подчеркивается, что в условиях перезапуска экономики подкрепление веры людей в собственные силы и поддержка сопереживания другим могут быть более эффективными средствами побуждения к соблюдению правил предосторожности, чем нагнетание страха. Делается вывод о необходимости перехода в коммуникациях по поводу пандемии от алармизма к позитивным целям и предоставлению информации, позволяющей гражданам строить планы на будущее. The article presents an analysis of the possible socio-psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on our own empirical studies, as well as a review of the scientific literature related to the psychological consequences of pandemics and other natural risks, the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are considered at several levels of socio-psychological analysis: intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, intergroup and macro-psychological. The influence of anxiety, fear of death, as well as the perceived uncontrollability of the threat on value orientations and the compliance with group norms, exposure to the influence of conspiracy theories is analyzed. The effects of curfew, as well as the fear of infection and physical distance on close relationships, trust in people and interpersonal mobility, group decision-making in small groups and polarization in network communities are examined. The causes of stigmatization and the growth of intergroup tension in a pandemic are analyzed. Among the possible long-term effects of the pandemic, a decline in institutional trust, an increase in social pessimism, and the likelihood of a shift in society to conservative values and the support of authoritarian politicians are discussed. Based on the research results, several recommendations are proposed to increase the resilience of society under conditions of a pandemic, including reducing the susceptibility of misinformation and belief in conspiracy theories, preventing stigmatization and supporting compliance with sanitary and epidemiological requirements. It is emphasized that in conditions of restarting the economy, reinforcing people's faith in their own strengths and supporting empathy with others can be more effective means of inducing compliance with precautionary rules than escalating fear. The conclusion is drawn about the need for a transition in communications about the pandemic from alarmism to positive goals and the provision of information that allows citizens to make plans.


Author(s):  
Preston R. Bost

Recent years have seen a sharp acceleration in the publication of empirical studies on conspiracy beliefs. Collectively this work demonstrates markers of an energized but exploratory field still seeking theoretical focus and depth. The research has arrived at an inflection point that will lead to increased expectations for theory-driven work that tests specific predictions and arrives at answers with the potential to improve public discourse about conspiracy theories. Three specific lines of research can advance our understanding of the place of conspiracy beliefs in adaptive cognition: clearly defining the phenomenon under investigation, exploring the situational factors that contribute to conspiracy beliefs, and testing the positive as well as negative outcomes that result from conspiracy beliefs.


Author(s):  
Debi A. LaPlante ◽  
Heather M. Gray ◽  
Pat M. Williams ◽  
Sarah E. Nelson

Abstract. Aims: To discuss and review the latest research related to gambling expansion. Method: We completed a literature review and empirical comparison of peer reviewed findings related to gambling expansion and subsequent gambling-related changes among the population. Results: Although gambling expansion is associated with changes in gambling and gambling-related problems, empirical studies suggest that these effects are mixed and the available literature is limited. For example, the peer review literature suggests that most post-expansion gambling outcomes (i. e., 22 of 34 possible expansion outcomes; 64.7 %) indicate no observable change or a decrease in gambling outcomes, and a minority (i. e., 12 of 34 possible expansion outcomes; 35.3 %) indicate an increase in gambling outcomes. Conclusions: Empirical data related to gambling expansion suggests that its effects are more complex than frequently considered; however, evidence-based intervention might help prepare jurisdictions to deal with potential consequences. Jurisdictions can develop and evaluate responsible gambling programs to try to mitigate the impacts of expanded gambling.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke Paulmann ◽  
Sarah Jessen ◽  
Sonja A. Kotz

The multimodal nature of human communication has been well established. Yet few empirical studies have systematically examined the widely held belief that this form of perception is facilitated in comparison to unimodal or bimodal perception. In the current experiment we first explored the processing of unimodally presented facial expressions. Furthermore, auditory (prosodic and/or lexical-semantic) information was presented together with the visual information to investigate the processing of bimodal (facial and prosodic cues) and multimodal (facial, lexic, and prosodic cues) human communication. Participants engaged in an identity identification task, while event-related potentials (ERPs) were being recorded to examine early processing mechanisms as reflected in the P200 and N300 component. While the former component has repeatedly been linked to physical property stimulus processing, the latter has been linked to more evaluative “meaning-related” processing. A direct relationship between P200 and N300 amplitude and the number of information channels present was found. The multimodal-channel condition elicited the smallest amplitude in the P200 and N300 components, followed by an increased amplitude in each component for the bimodal-channel condition. The largest amplitude was observed for the unimodal condition. These data suggest that multimodal information induces clear facilitation in comparison to unimodal or bimodal information. The advantage of multimodal perception as reflected in the P200 and N300 components may thus reflect one of the mechanisms allowing for fast and accurate information processing in human communication.


2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Greasley

It has been estimated that graphology is used by over 80% of European companies as part of their personnel recruitment process. And yet, after over three decades of research into the validity of graphology as a means of assessing personality, we are left with a legacy of equivocal results. For every experiment that has provided evidence to show that graphologists are able to identify personality traits from features of handwriting, there are just as many to show that, under rigorously controlled conditions, graphologists perform no better than chance expectations. In light of this confusion, this paper takes a different approach to the subject by focusing on the rationale and modus operandi of graphology. When we take a closer look at the academic literature, we note that there is no discussion of the actual rules by which graphologists make their assessments of personality from handwriting samples. Examination of these rules reveals a practice founded upon analogy, symbolism, and metaphor in the absence of empirical studies that have established the associations between particular features of handwriting and personality traits proposed by graphologists. These rules guide both popular graphology and that practiced by professional graphologists in personnel selection.


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