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“Why do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?” by Mikey Biddlestone
Monday 15 April 2024, 20:00 - 22:00
Apollo moon landings were faked, 9/11 was an inside job, climate change is a hoax, JFK was assassinated by the CIA, the world is flat, vaccines cause autism, the pharmaceutical industry suppresses a cure for cancer, Princess Diana was murdered by the royal family, and lizards rule the world. In many of these “theories,” the word is used colloquially rather than strictly scientifically. Conspiracy theories describe events or phenomena as the result of secretive plots by powerful individuals or groups.They tend to involve elaborate explanations that challenge mainstream interpretations, ranging from political assassinations to global pandemics.
Dr. Mikey Biddlestone was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab. His primary research focus includes the social factors associated with conspiracy beliefs, developing misinformation interventions, and investigating psychological reactions to everyday politics. He has published empirical work on conspiracy beliefs in the COVID-19 pandemic, led a number of theoretical reviews detailing the social processes involved in conspiracy beliefs, and helped to develop a misinformation checklist with the Doublethink Lab in Taiwan. He is now working for the University of Kent as a Research Associate with the CONSPIRACY_FX team.