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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject: Study: the Inner Worlds of Conspiracy Believers |
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The inner worlds of conspiracy believers
Those who subscribe to 9/11 conspiracy beliefs are generally suspicious and inquisitive, a new study suggests.
By Bruce Bower
Web edition : Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Shortly after terrorist attacks destroyed the World Trade Center and mangled the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, conspiracy theories blossomed about secret and malevolent government plots behind the tragic events. A report scheduled to appear in an upcoming Applied Cognitive Psychology offers a preliminary psychological profile of people who believe in 9/11 conspiracies.
A team led by psychologist Viren Swami of the University of Westminster in London identified several traits associated with subscribing to 9/11 conspiracies, at least among British citizens. These characteristics consist of backing one or more conspiracy theories unrelated to 9/11, frequently talking about 9/11 conspiracy beliefs with likeminded friends and others, taking a cynical stance toward politics, mistrusting authority, endorsing democratic practices, feeling generally suspicious toward others and displaying an inquisitive, imaginative outlook.
�Often, the proof offered as evidence for a conspiracy is not specific to one incident or issue, but is used to justify a general pattern of conspiracy ideas,� Swami says.
His conclusion echoes a 1994 proposal by sociologist Ted Goertzel of Rutgers�Camden in New Jersey. After conducting random telephone interviews of 347 New Jersey residents, Goertzel proposed that each of a person�s convictions about secret plots serves as evidence for other conspiracy beliefs, bypassing any need for confirming evidence.
A belief that the government is covering up its involvement in the 9/11 attacks thus feeds the idea that the government is also hiding evidence of extraterrestrial contacts or that John F. Kennedy was not killed by a lone gunman.
Goertzel says the new study provides an intriguing but partial look at the inner workings of conspiracy thinking. Such convictions critically depend on what he calls �selective skepticism.� Conspiracy believers are highly doubtful about information from the government or other sources they consider suspect. But, without criticism, believers accept any source that supports their preconceived views, he says.
�Arguments advanced by conspiracy theorists tell you more about the believer than about the event,� Goertzel says.
Full article here:
http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/44046/title/The_inner_worlds_of_conspiracy_believers |
Last edited by Manner of Speaking on Sun May 24, 2009 2:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee
Joined: 25 May 2003
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| I think most 9-11 conspiracy theorists don't really belive that there was a 9-11 conspiracy, rather they are just out misinform people for the political and social goals. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 6:05 pm Post subject: Re: Study: the Inner Worlds of Conspiracy Believers |
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| �Arguments advanced by conspiracy theorists tell you more about the believer than about the event,� Goertzel says. |
I have to admit, when I hear things like, "Tiny bits of rust and aluminum were found by European scientists in samples of material allegedly from the world trade center, which they acquired years after the fact and which were not kept in controlled environments previous to this acquisition. This proves the government is behind it!" I do feel like it says more about the believer than the event. |
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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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I love a good conspiracy theory. I always see sense in the end though. But I totally believed Loose Change when I first saw it (for about a week.....then I saw Screw Loose Change) and also believed the Moon hoax thanks largely to that Bart Sibrel movie.
It's all rather fun, I suppose |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: Study: the Inner Worlds of Conspiracy Believers |
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| Fox wrote: |
| I have to admit, when I hear things like, "Tiny bits of rust and aluminum were found by European scientists in samples of material allegedly from the world trade center, which they acquired years after the fact and which were not kept in controlled environments previous to this acquisition. This proves the government is behind it!" I do feel like it says more about the believer than the event. |
Got a link? |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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| A team led by psychologist Viren Swami of the University of Westminster in London identified several traits associated with subscribing to 9/11 conspiracies, at least among British citizens. These characteristics consist of: |
backing one or more conspiracy theories unrelated to 9/11 - Umm...none spring to mind.
frequently talking about 9/11 conspiracy beliefs with likeminded friends and others - I dip my toe in from time to time.
taking a cynical stance toward politics - check.
mistrusting authority - check.
endorsing democratic practices - Provided that they're fully inclusive, check.
feeling generally suspicious toward others - Only Canadians'
displaying an inquisitive, imaginative outlook - I hope so. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 7:52 pm Post subject: Re: Study: the Inner Worlds of Conspiracy Believers |
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| bacasper wrote: |
| Fox wrote: |
| I have to admit, when I hear things like, "Tiny bits of rust and aluminum were found by European scientists in samples of material allegedly from the world trade center, which they acquired years after the fact and which were not kept in controlled environments previous to this acquisition. This proves the government is behind it!" I do feel like it says more about the believer than the event. |
Got a link? |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_tf25lx_3o
You participated in the thread this was posted in, I'm shocked you would ask for it to be reposted. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| BS.Dos. wrote: |
| Quote: |
| A team led by psychologist Viren Swami of the University of Westminster in London identified several traits associated with subscribing to 9/11 conspiracies, at least among British citizens. These characteristics consist of: |
backing one or more conspiracy theories unrelated to 9/11 - Umm...none spring to mind.
frequently talking about 9/11 conspiracy beliefs with likeminded friends and others - I dip my toe in from time to time.
taking a cynical stance toward politics - check.
mistrusting authority - check.
endorsing democratic practices - Provided that they're fully inclusive, check.
feeling generally suspicious toward others - Only Canadians'
displaying an inquisitive, imaginative outlook - I hope so. |
Come on, what kind of sick puppy must you be to endorse democratic practices? You (and I) sound like real wackos  |
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dporter
Joined: 26 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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Swami and his colleagues administered a battery of questionnaires to 257 British adults, including a condensed version of a standard personality test. Participants came from a variety of ethnic, religious and social backgrounds representative of the British population.
Most participants expressed either no support or weak support for 16 conspiracy beliefs about 9/11. |
So the total sample size is 257 and more than half did not believe in conspiracy theories about 9/11. So that means the authors base their conclusions on a group of people less than 129 in number. I'm guessing not enough to show significance.
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| A related, unpublished survey of more than 1,000 British adults found that 9/11 conspiracy believers not only often subscribed to a variety of well-known conspiracy theories, but also frequently agreed with an invented conspiracy. |
In other words, they are citing another study with poor methods and/or low survey size. People don't do studies and not publish unless there are issues with study design.
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| The study, still unpublished, shows that conspiracy believers displayed a greater propensity than nonbelievers to jump to conclusions based on limited evidence. |
Get this published in a top tier peer-reviewed journal and then we'll talk. Until then, its just worthless bunk. |
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Trevor
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
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Trevor
Joined: 16 Nov 2005
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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Joo Rip Gwa Rhhee
Joined: 25 May 2003
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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Get rid of the third word, add a " T " to the new fourth word. |
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bacasper
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Trevor wrote: |
| there are also several studies on the subject of people who blindly follow their government's directions regardless of the obvious moral issues at stake. |
Are you speaking of the gullible and believers in official fictions? |
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BS.Dos.
Joined: 29 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 10:40 pm Post subject: |
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Deuce.
Nice interplay at work today, which is refreshing for a Sunday. |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| dporter wrote: |
| So the total sample size is 257 and more than half did not believe in conspiracy theories about 9/11. So that means the authors base their conclusions on a group of people less than 129 in number. I'm guessing not enough to show significance. |
Good point.
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| Quote: |
| The study, still unpublished, shows that conspiracy believers displayed a greater propensity than nonbelievers to jump to conclusions based on limited evidence. |
Get this published in a top tier peer-reviewed journal and then we'll talk. Until then, its just worthless bunk. |
Actually as the article mentions, its going to be published in one called Applied Cognitive Psychology shortly. |
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