[Edit: The survey is now closed. Thanks to everyone who took part. You can read an article I wrote for New Scientist about this research by clicking here.]
We are conducting a survey of people’s opinions about what happened to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. If you have 7 or 8 minutes to spare, please take part in the research. It would also be a huge help if you can pass the link on to others who might like to take part via email, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media.
https://goldpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_aV4ZsQUwc620fYh
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories 
Pingback: What do you think happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370?
hi there pillar of atummn got pitures of a time travel storm soo if any space craft airplains trains cars ships they be sent in too past or future pillar of atuummn got sucked in soo with covant space ships if it was close too the storm its most likly in year 2555 there are others in 1942 pre dinasore extention
Wasn’t sure where to address this question: Do any of you see hints of conspiracy theory in the US’s NSA and Edward Snowden problems? My own opinion is that most people do not know about or understand the laws underlying the NSA, the agency’s capabilities, or what it actually does, and the issue has been duly confused my a media that doesn’t completely understand either.
I wrote this article and couple of others in regard to the issue.
http://soldiercitizen.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/edward-snowden-liar/
Will the results of the “survey” be made public? If yes, will it be on this blog, or elsewhere?
Here you go Lilaleo, this is what they call “science”:
________
Conspiracy theories flourish even when there is no official explanation to react against, finds a psychologist who has examined reactions to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 — the passenger jet that disappeared without a trace in March 2014.
Dr Karen Douglas from the University of Kent presented her work today, Thursday 11 September, at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society’s Social Psychology Section in Canterbury.
Dr Douglas said: “We expected that people who believe in MH370 conspiracy theories would also believe in other well-known conspiracy theories. However, we hypothesised that whilst variables such as paranoia, powerlessness and mistrust would predict beliefs in well-known conspiracy theories, variables such as the need for cognitive closure and belief in an unjust world may instead predict endorsement of MH370 conspiracy theories, where no official explanation exists.
“Results confirmed that people who believe in MH370 conspiracy theories also endorse well-known conspiracy theories. However, the psychological predictors of conspiracy beliefs may be the same whether an official explanation has been established or not.”
Dr Douglas argued that these findings support the idea that conspiracy theories form part of a self-sustaining worldview composed of a network of mutually supportive beliefs. They do not necessarily need an official explanation to react against.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140910214036.htm
\\][//
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 never existed, the media just made it up.
\\][//
Dr Karen Douglas and Mr Rob Brotherton what they think happened to Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. My first comment on the 7th of September was a joke. I have no idea what happened to the airliner.
But as there is no proof one way or the other, how can Douglas and Brotherton dismiss any of the rational theories as to what may have happened to the aircraft? {rational meaning hypothesis more serious and feasible than the science fiction scenario offered by mavbraselton above}.
Such ‘psychological theories’ as Dr Douglas proposes in the article just published is based on such gross generalities as to be reasonably labeled as absurd. The very first error is in using a prime subject that is absolutely unknown in itself; the fate of the Malaysian airliner. The second error is in presenting no proofs that the other “conspiracy theories” are untrue. Dr Douglas’ entire proposition is based on conjecture. Which is in fact one of the main complaints these charlatans make about so-called “conspiracy theorists”.
\\][//
Our Fascination with Conspiracy Theories
20/03/2014
It appears that these so-called “psychologists” are more fascintated with “conspiracy theories” than those they call “Conspiracy Theorisists”…
. . . . . . . . . .
“The world is still waiting for news on what happened to the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, but some extraordinary conspiracy theories have sprung up as to its fate in the meantime, many of which have been reported in the media.
Psychologist Rob Brotherton wanted to investigate why people so often suspect sinister goings-on after headline-grabbing events that have not been fully explained, so he has conducted a survey along with BPS fellow Professor Chris French and BPS member Christopher Thresher-Andrews at Goldsmiths, University of London.
Writing in New Scientist, he explained that he quizzed more than 400 people about six possible scenarios for MH370’s disappearance. Three were accidental, while three were conspiratorial.
Although half of respondents said an accidental crash was the most likely, just under a fifth said they suspected a hijacking, making it the second most popular choice.
Seven per cent even suggested that the disappearance had been orchestrated by one of the world’s governments.
Interestingly, those who believed in conspiracy theories more widely – for example, that the assassination of JFK was a set-up – were the most likely to believe that MH370’s vanishing had a suspicious reason behind it too.
“It’s no surprise that conspiracy theories about MH370 have spread so quickly. Conspiracy theorising appears to be an unavoidable feature of how our minds sometimes work,” said Mr Brotherton, adding that our brains tend to favour events as being the product of someone’s intentions as opposed to simple accidents.
http://www.bps.org.uk/news/our-fascination-conspiracy-theories
\\][//
It’s called research and having to study to write articles. You should try it at some point.
And you Killerguy, what you do here, that’s called … exactly what?
“Trolling” is a good term for it. You are an obvious troll. Yes, a ‘booster troll’ for the charlatans here calling themselves “scientists” – but a troll nevertheless.
You never say anything of substance. All you do is make empty quips that emit from the seat of your trousers.
Where are all your great masterpieces of “research and study”? Stand and deliver oinking killerguy.
\\][//
“It’s no surprise that conspiracy theories about MH370 have spread so quickly. Conspiracy theorising appears to be an unavoidable feature of how our minds sometimes work,” said Mr Brotherton, adding that our brains tend to favour events as being the product of someone’s intentions as opposed to simple accidents.”
So you suppose the JFK assassination was a “simple accident” killerdood?
Tell me, what did happen to MH370?
\\][//
The 21st Century War Of Terror
“Clearly, the plans and purposes for war on Afghanistan had been well established. What was needed was the public justification. The people will not readily support a war to dominate strategic energy reserves and pipeline routes halfway around the world. Besides the fact that this would be an admission of empire, something that still a great many in the American public have failed to reconcile and accept, it would be a difficult task to ask Americans to die for Unocal. What the American people needed to rouse their appetite for war was to have their collective consciousness reshaped by fear; what was needed was terror.”~Andrew Gavin Marshall
http://www.globalresearch.ca/empire-energy-and-al-qaeda-the-anglo-american-terror-network/20944
\\][//
Because the American government needed the consent of the public to goto war ?
Not sure what contradictory World you live in, but one minute your government is an authoritarian despotic force that doesn’t require the approval of its populace, and the next it’s a weak kneed pussycat that is scared to take action without the consent of its voters.
Make your mind up son.
It doesn’t say “public approval” SON, it says “public justification”. That justification is the ‘fear of global terrorism’. Fear and loathing is not approval – it is acquiescence.
I thought you had a sense of “psychology” boy.
\\][//
And read the whole article. Learn some real history.
\\][//
Semantics. When you can get your conspiracy theories to stop contradicting one another perhaps someone out there might take you seriously. Trying to convince readers your government is despotic and above the need for citizen inclusion to take action in some of your comments, and then saying they require citizen inclusion to take action in other comments simply makes you look like you haven’t a single clue what you are talking about. Let alone can’t even get your conspiracy theories in line with one another.
Try formulating a version of history that actually has continuity from second to second.
“Semantics”? Hardly. “Justification” and “approval” have distinct definitions. As I pointed out in my reply to you.
The contradiction is in your own lack of distinctions of nomenclature and a complete ignorance of how the architecture of modern political power actually works.
The point to the article, and the information therein, all backed up with citations, is that 9/11 was, and continues to be a Psychological Operation to generate emotional trauma. It is that very trauma that has you by the brain-pan, creating the cognitive dissonance that blinds you from seeing through this political theater.
\\][//
“Trying to convince readers your government is despotic and above the need for citizen inclusion to take action in some of your comments, and then saying they require citizen inclusion to take action …”~Killerguy
The “citizen inclusion” you speak to is through ‘coercion’ – manipulation by fear. It is not a quest for “agreement” through reason, and logic.
You are seriously stunted in your comprehension, because you yourself have been effected by trauma inducing event, and the booster events of PR that keep coming.
\\][//
Keep the comedy coming.
“They must find it difficult …. those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority” – Gerald Massey
\\][//
There is a prime profile category of the population, a majority – perhaps a vast majority, that I call TVZombies, or TVZ for short. They are simple to identify, as their attitudes all have a common denominator, they are captives of the Public Relations Regime. They have bought into the bullshit paradigm fed to them from birth to death. But there are sub categories dependent on intelligence, personality traits, and emotional states. The plight of these people, and their weight of numbers placing us within that same consequence they rush toward must be comprehended.
“This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around”.
Communication and discussion is essential. Both for the sake of our remaining human and sane, and to conceive of solutions. When one is down with thoughts that they are not doing enough, it should be remembered that first and foremost dialog must continue.
“Action” can often be the first mistake, for it is often reactionary. Misguided action is worse than simply pondering the state of our being. Dialog has it’s pitfalls as well, but they are nothing to throwing a Molotov Cocktail, or putting oneself in the firing line.
It is my firm conviction that nothing will change for the better until a larger portion of the population finally ‘get’s it’: The System is a Lie.
\\][//
Who the fuck are you soap boxing to ?
You seem demented.
Killerguy clearly enjoys strangling language; torturing it, forcing it to make false confessions. He won’t be happy until every word is bound up in a bright orange jumpsuit, and left in a cell to rot.
\\][//
Conspiracykiller has such a jejune and naive world view, which is revealed in every post he makes on this blog. He asserts that it is “contradictory” to speak of a totalitarian state as needing to influence their domestic population.
Does he deny that the Nazi regime of Germany was a totalitarian state? How does he reconcile the fact that the Nazis were in fact a archetypal totalitarian state, and the fact of their ministry of propaganda? Their use of false flag operations {Polish border attack – Reichstag Fire, etc..} to condition and coerce the German people?
It is Conspiracykiller’s inability to apply the lessons of history due to his own indoctrination and cognitive dislocation that causes his total misunderstanding of the sociopolitical world he inhabits.
\\][//
Believe me if you lived under anything like the Nazis the rest of us would know. All the grandparents on the plane are now shaking their heads at your utter stupidity.
“Believe me…”~conspiracykiller
Why would anyone believe a ditz like you killerguy?
You post this, ‘Goodwin’s Law’ chart, with zero reference to context as to why I used the Nazi example. And why? Because you have no idea of what I am saying, so you leap on some bullshit generic “conspiracist Law” that is supposed to have some bearing on the discussion – because you are utterly lost and don’t know what the discussion is.
You are merely salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs when you react to subconscious stimuli like this.
As I point out in the comment you are mindlessly reacting to, you reveal this in every post you make on this blog. You cannot discuss things in context because you have zero idea of what the context is. And as I have said before, I do not make these remarks to effect you, as you are beyond reach. I point out the ingrained insanity that spills from you like a broken water-main, for the benefit of the lucid readership that may drop into these pages from time to time.
Keep running through the maze killerguy, just remember there is no way out until you wake the fuck up.
\\][//
Thank you killerguy, for reinforcing my argument time and again.
\\][//
Aha, a photo of killerguys “brain”… not a lot of synapses there aye?
\\][//
New higher POV … the sounds of the squibs going off. Definitely a worthwhile addition to the video imagery of that day.
\\][//
Well shame on me… I didn’t look into it deeply enough. Didn’t even notice the flipped face of the building.
So what does this prove? It certainly doesn’t prove that Bldg7 wasn’t brought down by explosive demolition. No it proves the extent to which the shills will go to to make Truthers appear foolish. And yes, we can be fooled some of the time.
So fuck me, but fuck this hoaxer harder.
Thanks to Adam Syed for pointing this out…
\\][//
Who needs conspiracy theory when we live in such an obvious odious police state? The police are fricking storm troopers for Christsake…can’t you believe your own eyes?
Electrocution on the spot isn’t draconian? What? Is your memory only about a sound bite long? Yup…stupefied TVZombies doing the sieg heil follies, skating through Saint Petro’s Carnival. Scatological tubular lollipops as rectal probes at the homeland airport—and YOU think the ‘Tearists’ are gonna take your freedom away? Holy bimbo squat diddle. But seriously folks…where are the serious folks?
\\][//
Thinking for yourself is the best way of not being led by the nose like a heifer to slaughter.
\\][//
To The Benevolent Protective Order of Coincidence Theorists
Conspiring together is a fundamental aspect of human existence; making plans and working towards private and secretive agendas is simply what people do. It is incredibly stupid that anyone could deny something so obvious – those suffering such denial have to be indoctrinated by persistent and ongoing programming generation after generation. And it is certainly no “theory” that such propaganda and conditioning has been at the core of social engineering since the Industrial Revolution.
Cognitive impairment is the whole purpose of the Public Relations Regime.
Defamation of so-called “Conspiracy Theory” is based on utter and completely irrational and preposterous propositions.
\\][//
“We’re gonna kill some more folks with drones.”~Barry Soetoro, Pretender
\\][//
“The very label [conspiracy] serves as an automatic dismissal, as though no one ever acts in secret. Let us bring some perspective and common sense to this issue.
The United States comprises large organizations – corporations, bureaucracies, “interest groups,” and the like – which are conspiratorial by nature. That is, they are hierarchical, their important decisions are made in secret by a few key decision-makers, and they are not above lying about their activities. Such is the nature of organizational behavior. “Conspiracy,” in this key sense, is a way of life around the globe.”~Richard M. Dolan
\\][//
What is “deviance” in a Psychopathic Society?
To a certain extent ‘deviance’ can be said to be rebellion and resistance by the sane.
\\][//
Conspiracykiller uses Selma tic quibbling as arguments and when people respond in kind, which is the only way to deal with those hairsplitting arguments he dismisses them as semantics. Brilliant. What a winner.
That’s semantic not Selma tic.
You should probably get a shaved there’s likely a hive of selma Ticks living in that thing.
WTF killerguy? You run out of stupid pictures?
You probably can’t grow a beard you are so stunted in the head. You a pinhead killer?
I bet yer a pinhead.
\\][//
Yea…Lol; “get a shave”… groovy sentence structurely duckturly pinhead.
\\][//
The pinhead is back to his ‘picture book’ approach to “debate” … Lol
What an idiot!
\\][//
So whattaya have on yer headphones or speakers dumbfuck?
Must be speakers … headphones would be wobbly on a pinhead like yours.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!
\\][//
http://hybridrogue1.wordpress.com/2014/05/08/controlled-demolition-and-the-demise-of-wtc-on-911/
\\][//
In the article you wrote for the New Scientist you report that most people in the survey believed in an accident but you also claim that in the case momentous events, people will tend to endorse conspiracy theories instead. This seems to be contradictory. Can you clarify?