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Chapter 8 - Conspiracy Thinking

from Part IV - Examining Societal Discontent

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2023

Kees van den Bos
Affiliation:
Utrecht University
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Summary

Chapter 8 studies what we can do so that people do not fall into traps of trying to believe in conspiracy theories that resist falsification. Belief in conspiracy theories often starts by looking at important societal authorities and a certain amount of suspicion about these authorities. The chapter examines when conspiracy thinking feels so good that people exaggerate their levels of suspicion of what is actually going on in society. The chapter also explains how the online quality of our modern way of living tends to amplify levels of suspicion and the ease with which conspiracy theories are spread. The chapter distinguishes between three different motivations that often are equated with each other, yet that drive conspiracy thinking in different ways. One important motivation is epistemic and concerns people trying to make sense of what is going on in their world. Another important motivation is existential and concerns people trying to deal with threats in their life. Yet another motivation concerns group identification. This includes people wanting to belong to unique groups that give them a sense of belonging. The three motivations point out different ways of trying to intervene when people start falling for exaggerated suspicion and conspiracy thoughts.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Fair Process Effect
Overcoming Distrust, Polarization, and Conspiracy Thinking
, pp. 89 - 102
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Conspiracy Thinking
  • Kees van den Bos, Utrecht University
  • Book: The Fair Process Effect
  • Online publication: 26 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009218979.013
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  • Conspiracy Thinking
  • Kees van den Bos, Utrecht University
  • Book: The Fair Process Effect
  • Online publication: 26 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009218979.013
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conspiracy Thinking
  • Kees van den Bos, Utrecht University
  • Book: The Fair Process Effect
  • Online publication: 26 October 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009218979.013
Available formats
×