Dr. Dan Jolley: The social psychological consequences of conspiracy theories 15.03.16 by Goldsmiths UOL

Conspiracy theories are blooming in the 21st century. They accompany almost all significant social and political events, such as the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and the 9/11 terrorists attacks. Whilst psychologists are learning more about who endorses conspiracy theories, and why, little is known about their potential consequences. Initially some people thought conspiracy theories were ridiculous beliefs that are simply harmless fun. In this talk Dan Jolley presents his current research programme where this assumption is turned on its head. The aim of this talk is to ultimately highlight some of the potentially damaging consequences of conspiracy theories.