Tag Archives: politics

Why might people believe in human-made hurricanes? Two conspiracy theory psychologists explain

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Daniel Jolley

by Iwan Dinnick and Daniel Jolley, written for the Conversation. Hurricane Milton slammed into the west coast of Florida on October 9, becoming the second powerful hurricane to hit the state in just two weeks. While most people turned to meteorologists for explanations, … Continue reading →

Posted in Round-Ups, Social psychology, What's the harm, World events | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You Serious?

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Rob Brotherton

I’ve posted here before about why measuring belief in conspiracy theories can be tricky. Recently I was invited to visit University of Cambridge’s Conspiracy and Democracy project and the issue of measuring belief came up again, particularly the question of … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Personality | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Intention Seekers: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories About MS804

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Rob Brotherton

I wrote a post over at Psychology Today on the psychology behind conspiracy theories about airline disasters like the disappearance of MH370, and more recently, MS804. Part of the appeal, according to a handful of recent studies, may be how … Continue reading →

Posted in Biases & heuristics, Intentionality bias, World events | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

On “crazy” conspiracy theories

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Rob Brotherton

I wrote an op ed, published today on LATimes.com, on the topic of dismissing conspiracy theories (and theorists) as “crazy.” Pithy insults like crazy, delusional, irrational, wacky have become a common refrain, at least among click-baiting headline-writers and over-zealous pundits. But, as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Biases & heuristics, Pop culture, Proportionality bias, Suspicious Minds | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

How the Illuminati conquered hip hop (allegedly)

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Rob Brotherton

I wrote an article for The Daily Beast exploring the origins of the rumors that Jay Z, Kanye West, and many of their colleagues are pawns of the Illuminati. Here’s an excerpt… “Illuminati want my mind, soul, and my body … Continue reading →

Posted in Pop culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Rob Brotherton

My book, Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories, is out now! You can buy it now from all the usual places, in hardback and for Kindle and other e-readers. (Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / Barnes & Noble / Waterstones)

Posted in Suspicious Minds | Tagged , , , | 49 Comments

Vice Motherboard article on conspiracy psychology

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Rob Brotherton

A recent article by journalist Molly Osberg gives an excellent overview of the psychology of conspiracy theories, including a few quotes from me, among other researchers. “There’s not that much of a difference, really, between conspiracy theorists and the rest … Continue reading →

Posted in Biases & heuristics, Suspicious Minds | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Bored to Fears

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Rob Brotherton

Do you get bored easily? Does time fly by for you, or does it always seem to drag? Is it easy for you to concentrate on activities, or do you often find your mind wandering? Is looking at a friend’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Personality | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

The President is Dead: Why Conspiracy Theories About the Death of JFK Endure

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

November 22nd marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Over the years, numerous investigations have amassed evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin, and failed to find compelling proof that anyone else was involved. … Continue reading →

Posted in Biases & heuristics, Proportionality bias, World events | Tagged , , , , | 75 Comments

Conspiracy distractions

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

[I wrote this article two years ago, on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It was originally published in The Skeptic magazine.] On the morning of September 11th, 2011, New York City solemnly remembered the thousands of people who … Continue reading →

Posted in 9/11, World events | Tagged , , , , | 229 Comments