Analytic thinking reduces belief in conspiracy theories

[YoungDemCA]

Interesting scholarly article. Abstract:

Belief in conspiracy theories has been associated with a range of negative health, civic, and social outcomes, requiring reliable methods of reducing such belief. Thinking dispositions have been highlighted as one possible factor associated with belief in conspiracy theories, but actual relationships have only been infrequently studied. In Study 1, we examined associations between belief in conspiracy theories and a range of measures of thinking dispositions in a British sample (N 990). Results indicated that a stronger belief in conspiracy theories was significantly associated with lower analytic thinking and open mindedness and greater intuitive thinking. In Studies 2 4, we examined the causational role played by analytic thinking in relation to conspiracist ideation. In Study 2 (N 112), we showed that a verbal fluency task that elicited analytic thinking reduced belief in conspiracy theories. In Study 3 (N 189), we found that an alternative method of eliciting analytic thinking, which related to cognitive disfluency, was effective at reducing conspiracist ideation in a student sample. In Study 4, we replicated the results of Study 3 among a general population sample (N 140) in relation to generic conspiracist ideation and belief in conspiracy theories about the July 7, 2005, bombings in London. Our results highlight the potential utility of supporting attempts to promote analytic thinking as a means of countering the widespread acceptance of conspiracy theories.

- Swami, V., Voracek, M., Stieger, S., Tran, U. S., & Furnham, A. (2014). Analytic thinking reduces belief in conspiracy theories. Cognition 133(3), 572-585.

Link: https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/bitstream/handle/123456789/30143/Swami_0-265052.pdf?sequence=3

[Socal31]

1. Oh really? How much are they paying you to post this obvious psy-op?

Tell your NSCIATFBI handlers not falling for it OP.

[YoungDemCA]

2. ...

[Xolodno]

3. That's a conspiracy to discredit analytical thinkers who believe in conspiracies!

Sorry, the joke was there, I had to take it.

[Else You Are Mad]

4. Some conspiracy theories are true...

... And some are false. To outright dismiss a theory because it is a 'conspiracy theory' is just as wrong as believing in absurd conspiracy theories.

ETA: Just look at the Nixon administration when it has been admitted more than one person that Pot and Heroin was criminalize and the war on drugs was started to silence the hippie movement/black community respectively because they were the two largest vocal opponents to the Nixon administration.

[Gabi Hayes]

6. just ask kissinger and allende. they don't believe in this conspiracy horsesh*t. wait a second,

one of them isn't alive to give his opinion

sorry bout that

[Sherman A1]

7. Hmmmmm

[Javaman]

8. there is someone in my life that goes on and on regarding "conspiracy theories"

recently he prattled on and on about one crazy harebrained idea after another.

finally I said, "okay, with all this information about lizards and what not trying to eat our young for electrical power generation, what are you going to do with this insightful information"?"

He paused and asked what I meant.

I said, "you spew on and on about these supposed theories, but with all this information and knowledge, what are you going to do with it?"

he sort of sputtered and searched for an answer.

I said quite gently to him, because I didn't want to set he off again, "there are so many truly fucked up things in this world that don't require "conspiracy theories" to understand them that need our attention desperately. Wars, poverty, child slavery, horrible horrible things, why not devote your energy and will to trying solve one of those problems?"

But then he shot back with the circular logic of the conspiracy theorist, "none of that matters as long as those in power (name your favorite popular conspiracy overlord group or individual) are controlling things!!"

I shook my head and finally said, "so in other words, give up and don't do anything at all, right?"

He sat back and looked smug, "Yup, what's the point!"

--------------------------------

that's the very simple problem with conspiracy theorists, it's the easy out for them as someone who doesn't actually give a damn about society or trying to find a real solution to actual problems. They just blame all the problems of the world on some imaginary entity thus relieving themselves of being part of the worlds or societies problems.