The Impact of Conspiracy Theories and How to Counter Them: Reviewing the Literature on Conspiracy Theories and Radicalization to Violence

Author(s):  
Amarnath Amarasingam
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-38
Author(s):  
Giovanni Savino

This article explores how the pandemic crisis resulted in a confluence of neo-fascist groups such as Forza Nuova and CasaPound, national-populist parties such as Lega and Brothers of Italy, the Orange Vests of former General Pappalardo and COVID-19 deniers. Since March 2020, the Italian far right has consciously based its strategy on spreading conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and opposing any type of restrictive measures, from the lockdown to mask mandates and vaccination. The attempts to build a mass anti-vaccine movement permeated with neo-fascist influences may have stalled, but it would be mistaken to think that the battle has been lost: the impact of COVID deniers on the political landscape goes beyond poll results. The contemporary ideological fluidity favors mainstreaming negationist slogans, for instance through the unexpected overlap between the far right and New Age culture. The real struggle is conducted in the field of ideas and cultural hegemony, where a profound illiberal, anti-scientific, and conspiracy sentiment continues to gain support in Italy thanks to the overlap between neo-fascists, national-populists, and COVID deniers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todor Hristov

Abstract The paper claims that conspiracy theories in Bulgaria are organized as a milieu rather than as a genre, and that, depending on their intensity, conspiracy theories can perform heterogeneous functions, which range from justification of political claims and popular mobilization to entertainment. Building on that conceptual framework, the paper illustrates the most prominent functional types of Bulgarian conspiracy theories. The higher-intensity theories are exemplified by the narratives of corruption and of the afterlife of the former communist secret services. The lower-intensity theories are illustrated by the fortunately short-lived question if the president of the United States has been abducted by aliens. The impact of the Bulgarian conspiratorial milieu on global theories is represented by the example of the Bulgarian modifications of the traveling narrative of the conspiracy of Jewish bankers. The emancipatory potential of the conspiracy theories is demonstrated by the example of the 2011 anti-GMO protests, motivated by narratives of conspiracy between the government and transnational corporations, which derived their energy from the associated milieu of ecological concerns.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Alexander Jack ◽  
Reena Panchal

Summary There is scientific consensus that anthropogenic climate change is real and that it provides an existential threat to humanity and the planet. In this article, we focus on climate change conspiracy theories and the impact of such beliefs on mental health. We discuss the psychiatric disorders that might be relevant to conspiracy belief endorsement and we present the underlying psychological mechanisms. We note that there is little to no literature to associate beliefs about climate change with serious mental health conditions. However, we anticipate that such beliefs may manifest pathologically in psychiatric presentations as climate change becomes increasingly at the forefront of the global agenda.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 562-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby Bolsen ◽  
Risa Palm ◽  
Justin T. Kingsland

Conspiracy theories have flourished about the origins of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes an acute respiratory syndrome (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) in humans. This article reports the results from a study that evaluates the impact of exposure to framed messages about the origins of COVID-19. We tested four hypotheses: two focusing on its origins as either zoonotic or human-engineered and two concerning the impacts of origin beliefs on the desire to penalize China or support increased funding for biomedical research. The results accentuate the importance of finding ways to combat the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories related to this global pandemic.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 622-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilya Yablokov

This article studies the impact of conspiracy theories on post-Soviet Russian nation-building through the analysis of how the Pussy Riot trial was constructed by the Russian media. Conspiracy theory as a phenomenon is defined as a populist tool for relocation of power among different political actors, which creates identities and boosts social cohesion. This interpretation of conspiracy theories helps investigate how the media constructed the image of Pussy Riot and their supporters as a conspiring subversive minority, which threatened the Russian nation. The ability of conspiracy theory for swift social mobilization helped the authorities to strengthen the public support of its policies and model the Russian nation as ethnically and religiously homogeneous.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 183449092110398
Author(s):  
Monica Pivetti ◽  
Silvia Di Battista ◽  
Francesca Giorgia Paleari ◽  
Eemeli Hakoköngäs

During the coronavirus pandemic, this study aimed to investigate the impact of conspiracy beliefs on Finnish attitudes toward vaccinations in general and COVID-19 vaccinations in particular. This study was a conceptual replication in Finland of a study by Pivetti et al. (2021) . Some 529 Finnish participants responded to a self-report questionnaire during the partial lockdown in Finland in spring 2020. The hypothesized relationships between variables of interest were integrated in a serial multiple mediation model via structural equation modelling. Results showed that endorsing general conspiracy beliefs directly predicted (1) general attitudes toward vaccines and (2) COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, and indirectly predicted (3) attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines via the serial mediation of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and general attitudes toward vaccines. As for the antecedents of beliefs in conspiracy theories, political orientation and moral purity predicted beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Trust in science was inversely related to general conspiracy beliefs. As for the consequences of conspiracy beliefs, COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs directly predicted support for governmental restrictions (negatively) and the perception of informational contamination (positively).


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 87-104
Author(s):  
T.A. Nestik ◽  
O.S. Deyneka ◽  
А.А. Maksimenko

Objective. Search for socio-psychological antecedents for the individual’s belief in conspiracy theories of the origin of the pandemic. Revealing the dynamics of Internet users’ attitudes to the coronavirus pandemic in March-early June 2020. Background. As part of the study of the psychological mechanisms of the impact of the pandemic on the individual and society, an increasingly urgent task is to clarify the socio-psychological prerequisites of belief in conspiracy theories of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the relationship between attitudes towards the pandemic and the involvement of the individual in the use of social media. Study design. The paper presents the results of two online surveys conducted in March-April and May-June 2020 to study the dynamics of Russians’ belief in conspiracy theories of the origin of the COVID-19, taking into account involvement in social media and gender differences. Participants. The first study involved 668 people (78.2% women) aged 17 to 80 years (M=30; SD=12.7); the second survey involved 986 people (56.9% — men) aged 18 to 76 years (M=36.63; SD=10.2). The survey geography covered various regions of Russia. Measurements. The basic tool in both studies was developed by T.A. Nestik questionnaire “Attitude towards the epidemiological threat”. The first study additionally measured the social axioms (SAS), moral foundations (MFQ), belief in the justice of the world and trust in social institutions. The second study additionally measured involvement in social media communications. Results. The 1st study found a connection between conspiracy beliefs and belief in a just world, low self-efficacy, moral foundations of ingroup/loyalty and authority/respect, low institutional trust, and social cynicism. In the 2nd study, it was shown that, compared to March-April, the level of belief of social media users in conspiracy theories of the origin of the pandemic, the severity of distrust in the health care system and skepticism about vaccinations significantly increased; both the fear of infection and the controllability of the threat have become less, but fears of a recurrence of epidemics have increased. It is shown that involvement in social media increases anxiety about the consequences of the coronavirus crisis, which in turn intensifies the search for conspiracy explanations of pandemic. Conclusions. Low social trust and the experience of an uncontrollable threat increase the susceptibility of social media users to belief in conspiracy theories of the origin of the pandemic.


2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Abdullah Al-Hashedi ◽  
Belal Al-Fuhaidi ◽  
Abdulqader M. Mohsen ◽  
Yousef Ali ◽  
Hasan Ali Gamal Al-Kaf ◽  
...  

Sentiment analysis has recently become increasingly important with a massive increase in online content. It is associated with the analysis of textual data generated by social media that can be easily accessed, obtained, and analyzed. With the emergence of COVID-19, most published studies related to COVID-19’s conspiracy theories were surveys on the people's sentiments and opinions and studied the impact of the pandemic on their lives. Just a few studies utilized sentiment analysis of social media using a machine learning approach. These studies focused more on sentiment analysis of Twitter tweets in the English language and did not pay more attention to other languages such as Arabic. This study proposes a machine learning model to analyze the Arabic tweets from Twitter. In this model, we apply Word2Vec for word embedding which formed the main source of features. Two pretrained continuous bag-of-words (CBOW) models are investigated, and Naïve Bayes was used as a baseline classifier. Several single-based and ensemble-based machine learning classifiers have been used with and without SMOTE (synthetic minority oversampling technique). The experimental results show that applying word embedding with an ensemble and SMOTE achieved good improvement on average of F1 score compared to the baseline classifier and other classifiers (single-based and ensemble-based) without SMOTE.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney A. Moore ◽  
Benjamin C. Ruisch ◽  
Javier A. Granados Samayoa ◽  
Shelby T. Boggs ◽  
Jesse T. Ladanyi ◽  
...  

AbstractRecent work has found that an individual’s beliefs and personal characteristics can impact perceptions of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain individuals—such as those who are politically conservative, endorse conspiracy theories, or who believe the threat of COVID-19 to be exaggerated—are less likely to engage in such preventative behaviors as social distancing. The current research aims to address whether these individual difference variables not only affect people’s subjective and behavioral reactions to the pandemic, but also whether they actually impact individuals’ likelihood of contracting COVID-19. In the early months of the pandemic, U.S. participants responded to a variety of individual difference measures as well as questions specific to COVID-19 and the pandemic itself. Four months later, 2,120 of these participants responded with whether they had contracted COVID-19. Nearly all of our included individual difference measures significantly predicted whether a person reported believing they had contracted COVID-19 as well as whether they had actually tested positive for the virus in this four-month period. Additional analyses revealed that all of these relationships were primarily mediated by whether participants held accurate knowledge about COVID-19. These findings offer useful insights for developing more effective interventions aimed at slowing the spread of both COVID-19 and future diseases. Moreover, some findings offer critical tests of the validity of such theoretical frameworks as those concerning conspiratorial ideation and disgust sensitivity within a real-world context.


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