North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?
US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty
Anti-Empire >>
Promoting Human Rights in IrelandHuman Rights in Ireland >>
Nigel Farage Hails ?Historic Moment?, as Reform Memberships Surpasses Tories Thu Dec 26, 2024 15:00 | Toby Young
Reform now has more members than the Conservatives, according to Nigel Farage, who has proclaimed the party "the official opposition".
The post Nigel Farage Hails ?Historic Moment?, as Reform Memberships Surpasses Tories appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Britain?s Economy to be ?Closer to Guyana? as Starmer?s Living Standards Pledge Falls Flat Thu Dec 26, 2024 12:00 | Toby Young
Thanks to Labour's management of the economy, GDP per head in the UK is likely to be closer to that of Guyana than the US by 2039, according to an economic think tank.
The post Britain?s Economy to be ?Closer to Guyana? as Starmer?s Living Standards Pledge Falls Flat appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Did Russians Shoot Down Azerbaijan Airlines Plane That Crashed and Killed 38? Thu Dec 26, 2024 09:00 | Toby Young
Evidence is mounting that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on Christmas Day was shot down by the Russians, mistaking it for a Ukrainian drone.
The post Did Russians Shoot Down Azerbaijan Airlines Plane That Crashed and Killed 38? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
What You Need is a Good Full English Breakfast Thu Dec 26, 2024 07:00 | Guy de la B?doy?re
Guy de la Bedoyere says drop what you're doing and have a full English. What better way is there to celebrate Boxing Day?
The post What You Need is a Good Full English Breakfast appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
News Round-Up Thu Dec 26, 2024 00:09 | Toby Young
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?113 Fri Dec 20, 2024 10:42 | en
Pentagon could create a second Kurdish state Fri Dec 20, 2024 10:31 | en
How Washington and Ankara Changed the Regime in Damascus , by Thierry Meyssan Tue Dec 17, 2024 06:58 | en
Statement by President Bashar al-Assad on the Circumstances Leading to his Depar... Mon Dec 16, 2024 13:26 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?112 Fri Dec 13, 2024 15:34 | en
Voltaire Network >>
international |
miscellaneous |
opinion/analysis
Saturday January 21, 2012 17:01
by Rob Brotherton
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3I am a believer in some of the wilder Conspiracy Theories, like the one that they made up the story about Weapons of Mass Distruction in Iraq...... I know, 'crazy' right! Coming in at number 645 on my list of conspiracies is the belief that our ESRI here in Ireland is just a Government mouthpiece, using it's 'scientific' research to provide proof for whatever the Government policy of the day is. The ESRC which you are working for on this 'survey' would be a sister organisation to our own ESRI
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/
So, no thanks, I don't want to give you an insight into my psychology because ..... well.... lets just say I don't think our governments are working for the general good of our populations and more specifically I seriously doubt they are studying the very people who question their incessant lies to help us. Help demonise us morelike.
1. Would it be fair/accurate or correct to say that you are conducting research into the psycholoogy of conspiracy theorists, as opposed to the psychology of conspiracy theories? It may seem like a semantic point, however, I think it is important.
2. Can you let me know the context of your research: what is the title/subject matter of your Phd?
3. Is the model/theory you are using a social one or a therapy-type, individual psychological state-type one?
4. What is your definition-for the purposes of your research-of a conspiracy theory?
Thanks.
Hi there, huge thanks to whomever posted this here for me, and massive thanks to anyone who has filled in the survey.
To respond to the questions above...
1. While I wouldn't say I'm looking at the psychology of 'conspiracy theorists', it is certainly correct to say I'm looking at people's beliefs rather than at conspiracy theories themselves. My work has no implications for the objective truth of any particular claim of conspiracy, nor is it intended to. Rather I'm interested in how people come to hold the beliefs that they do, whether it is believing a conspiracy or disbelieving a conspiracy.
2. My entire PhD is concerned with belief (and disbelief) in conspiracies
3. My research methods are based in experimental psychology - experimental in the sense that I conduct empirical research, as opposed to offering therapy. I'm look for general trends in the population, rather than examining individuals.
4. The definition of conspiracy theory is a complex issue! The short answer is 'the assumption of conspiracy when other explanations are more probable'. If you have 25 minutes to spare you can listen to me speak about defining conspiracy theory in much greater depth here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6s_Jw3RU9g