The Psychological Effects Of Conspiracy Theories - 1166 Words

Throughout history, people have attempted to come up with explanations to make sense of events which could not be comprehend, such explanations are commonly known as conspiracy theories. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the official definition of conspiracy theory is â€Å"a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.† These theories can range from minor events, to large scale terrorist attacks. A few well known theories include, Bill Clinton caused 9/11, the Earth is flat, and a reptilian race is planning to take over the Earth. Conspiracy theories can inflict various amount of damage, but it dependent on the conspiracy theory context. (Mckay). In an†¦show more content†¦These reasons are â€Å"it breeds a lack of curiosity,† â€Å"gives the misleading impression that we don’t have explanations for many phenomena for which we do have explanations†, and †Å"makes one vulnerable to demagogues and highly dubious claims.† As a result of people feeling shout out by others, people can become less curious. When curious about the world and no one is giving them answers, there is potential for that person to become distrusting of others. This distrust can affect their view the world, as well as the way their brain processes information. With numerous theories surfacing in the world, and more than 50 percent of Americans believing in at least one conspiracy; it is hard to determine which are real, and which are fiction, and the fact that people are refusing to give answers is not helping the situation..As a result of conspiracy theories people stop trusting each other and become less social. Karen Douglas claims many conspiracy theories undermine people’s confidence. This is proved in An experiment instructed by Sander van der Linden,a Dutch social psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, show that the belief in conspiracy theories can cause a person to be less pre-social. In his experiment Dr. Linden separated his participants into three groups , the first group watched a video about conspiracyShow MoreRelatedHistorical Scholarship On Conspiracy On American Culture1254 Words   |  6 Pagesreason or irrationality that empowers reason with its undeniable coercive force.† Hence, the book does not go hand in hand with other cultural conspiracy historians; despite the similarity of research result the perception applied varies. The last book on cultural conspiracy to be examined exemplifies newer trend in the historical scholarship on conspiracy on American culture since sixteenth century up to nineteen century. John Farrell’s Paranoia and Modernity study bases on works of historiansRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Conspiracy Theory815 Words   |  4 Pagescommonly known as conspiracy theories. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the official definition of conspiracy theory   is â€Å"a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.† These theories can range from minor events, to large scale terrorist attacks. A few well known theories include, Bill Clinton caused 9/11, the Earth is flat, and a reptilian race is planning to take over the Earth. Conspiracy theories can inflict variousRead MoreThe Assassination Of John F. Kennedy1620 Words   |  7 Pagesafter JFK was shot. Contrary to the governments report , skeptics argue a vast scope of conspiracies to shed light on what they believe happened that day; ideas ranging from magic bullets, multiple shooters, and alternate motives from the same shooter. 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