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Conspiracy Theory as Individual and Group Behavior: Observations from the Flat Earth International Conference
Philip M Fernbach1, Jonathan E Bogard2
1Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder.
Topics in Cognitive Science
|May 19, 2023
Summary
Conspiratorial thinking arises from common cognitive and social processes, not pathology. This research offers a framework to understand how these processes interact within communities to form false beliefs.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive and social sciences
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Conspiratorial thinking is a growing societal concern and research topic.
- Existing research often views conspiracy belief as pathological.
Approach:
- Proposes a three-tiered framework: cognitive processes, the individual, and social processes/communities.
- Examines explanatory coherence and faulty belief updating.
- Analyzes how conspiracy communities foster false beliefs and biased evidence assimilation.
Key Points:
- Conspiracy belief is an extreme outcome of common cognitive processes.
- Community norms and shared understanding play a crucial role in maintaining false beliefs.
- The Flat Earth International Conference serves as a case study.
Conclusions:
- Conspiratorial thinking emerges from the interaction of individual and group processes.
- Understanding these mechanisms provides a non-pathological perspective on conspiracy beliefs.
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