Research focus: Conspiracy theories
Author of “Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories" (Bloomsbury, 2017) and "Bad News: Why We Fall for Fake News" (Bloomsbury, 2020)
They are not, in fact, more common than ever.
When done correctly, debunking can combat people’s faith in false conspiracy theories. Here's a neuroscience-backed guide to approaching your loved ones’ conspiratorial beliefs.
Based on the research that I’ve done and that other psychologists have done, conspiracy thinking seems to be a fairly stable predisposition.