We now know a lot about what makes adults fall into conspiracy theories but investigations into how the pull in young people are only just beginning.
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Articles on Conspiracy theories
Displaying 101 - 120 of 269 articles
Google, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter have all agreed to a voluntary code of conduct targeting misinformation. But the only real commitment is to appear as though they’re taking action.
When many people believe the government is trying to take away their guns, events that make guns look bad can be misinterpreted as part of that nonexistent plan.
Americans who believe aliens have visited Earth are more likely than disbelievers to say that Joe Biden is not the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election.
An inevitable part of the internet age, some conspiracy theories appear and then fade, but in the US particularly, creationism seems firmly embedded in religion, education and pseudoscience.
Theories that antibodies affect the placenta are completely unfounded.
The type and amount of misinformation closely tracks tensions in US-China relations. Effectively countering the misinformation comes down to who does the debunking.
Encrypted messaging services like Telegram provide virtual dark corners where far-right extremists can recruit, organize and plan unhindered.
Analysis shows how Trump and Twitter spread QAnon extremism from the US to Europe, and how hard it will be to undo the damage.
A ‘psychological vaccine’ has the potential to counter belief in COVID-19 conspiracies.
Incoming US president Joe Biden can’t mend a broken US democracy alone. Other liberal democracies, including NZ, need to get involved.
Prominent ‘danger’ signs are needed online to warn people about misinformation.
Mimicking other groups and making false claims of responsibility are popular deception tactics used in terrorism.
Millions of supporters of Donald Trump flocked to the far-right social media platform, where hate speech and calls for violence thrive. The US Capitol insurrection could be the platform’s undoing.
Trump supporters openly discussed forcing Congress and Vice President Pence to overturn the election results.
Conspiracy theories spread online are the backbone of Donald Trump’s falsehoods about his loss in the U.S. election. The real world consequences of those conspiracies have now exploded.
A collapse in political legitimacy means people think the normal rules don’t apply anymore, making the world a more difficult and even dangerous place for all of us.
Calling out false information on social media may do more harm than good.
Implausible theories give believers control over a puzzling and threatening world.
It’s no surprise the unexplained structures have the internet buzzing. But they haven’t entered the ranks of other great conspiracy material — and history helps explain why they probably won’t.
Top contributors
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Chair of Cognitive Psychology, University of Bristol
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Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Cognitive and Parapsychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Professor of Social Psychology, University of Kent
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Assistant Professor in Social Psychology, University of Nottingham
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Reader in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University
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Host of The Anthill Podcast, The Conversation
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Professor of American Studies, University of Manchester
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PhD candidate Individualized Program, 2020-2021 Public Scholar, Concordia University
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Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology, La Trobe University
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Senior Lecturer in Psychology, The Open University
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Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Education; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland
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Senior Research Fellow, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne
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Department of Media & Culture, Faculty of Humanities, University of Amsterdam
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Research Lead, Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, Middlebury
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Professor of American Literary and Cultural History, University of Tübingen
