Conspiracy theories are abundant in social and political discourse, with serious
consequences for individuals, groups, and societies. However, psychological scientists have …

In the last few years, especially after the Brexit referendum and the 2016 US elections, there
has been a surge in academic interest for misinformation and disinformation. Social …

During the last decennia media environments and political communication systems have
changed fundamentally. These changes have major ramifications for the political information …

Public discourse and scholarly literature often make a strong connection between paranoid
thought and belief in conspiracy theories. We report one metaanalysis and two …

Can conspiracy theories be a source of social stigma? If it is true, it would follow that people
may expect to be socially excluded when they express endorsement of conspiracy theories …

Conspiracy theories are widely viewed as stigmatized beliefs, and it is often assumed that
sharing them will therefore have negative reputational consequences for individuals. In six …

Using the label 'conspiracy theory'is widely perceived to be a way of discrediting wild ideas
and unsubstantiated claims. However, prior research suggests that labelling statements as …

In spite of the social stigma surrounding them, conspiracy theories are a common topic of
public debate on the Internet. The content and tone of these discussions provide a useful …

People have two integrative mental systems in place to process information about the world.
One is fast and automatic, relying on emotions, intuitions, and heuristics (“System 1”); the …

Collective traumas may often lead to deep societal divides and internal conflicts. In this
article, we propose that conspiracy theories emerging in response to victimizing events may …