The psychology of conspiracy theories

This event is part of a series of Psychology seminars that regularly occurs during the Autumn and Spring terms.

Conspiracy theories are abundant in social and political discourse and appear to have serious consequences for individuals, groups and societies. However, psychological scientists have only started paying them close attention in the past 20 years.

In this talk, Karen Douglas will underscore the importance of conspiracy theories as a topic of research in psychology. Karen will overview the literature on the psychology of conspiracy theories, using examples from her own research. She will showcase what psychologists know about why people believe in conspiracy theories, what their consequences are, and why people share them.