Event overview
020 7919 7882
Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit Invited Speaker Series, 2012/13
Abstract
Since the resurgence of public interest in conspiracy theories in the 1990s, there has been a flurry of studies looking at this phenomenon from a social psychological perspective. Much of this research has focused on identifying specific social and psychological factors that underpin the susceptibility of individuals to conspiracist thinking, and which might therefore help to explain the persistence of conspiracy theories in modern society.
In the talk I offer a methodological critique of this growing body of work, focusing in particular on the fact that, almost without exception, researchers have used questionnaires to assess the participants’ belief in, or endorsement of, conspiracy theories. Implicit in the choice of this particular methodology is a set of highly problematic assumptions about the nature of conspiracy theories, which researchers have been surprisingly reluctant to address or justify. Drawing on the material presented in my recent book Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction, I argue that social psychological research must recognize that people engage with conspiracy theories in complex and diverse ways that cannot be reduced to a single and measurable dimension of judgment. More importantly, social psychologists must develop methodologies attentive to the argumentative nature of conspiracism as a form of ideological explanation, and its important communicative and interactional dimensions.
Biography
Jovan Byford is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University, UK. He is the author of four books, including Conspiracy Theories: Critical Introduction (2011) and Conspiracy Theory: Serbia vs The New World Order (in Serbian, 2006), as well as a number of articles and book chapters on conspiracy theories, antisemitism and Holocaust remembrance.
APRU Invited Speaker Programme
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Jan 2013 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm |
Accessibility
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