Demystifying Conspiracy Theories

StA (c)phane Gaskin, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Dawson College in MontrA (c)al, QuA (c)bec, Canada, where he has taught a course on the psychology of conspiracy theories for the past several years, and Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at McGill University. Trained as a behavioral neuroscientist, his research background is in the neurobiology of learning and memory, and he has turned his attention to the psychology of belief, drawing on the critical thinking and misinformation literature to examine how people form, maintain, and revise beliefs in the face of conspiracy theories.

aEURoeThere are few subjects today so widely discussed and yet so misunderstood as conspiracy theories, which makes GaskinaEUR (TM)s interdisciplinary approach so vital. Who believes conspiracy theories and why? How do you distinguish between conspiracy theories and actual conspiracies? And how should you engage with people who believe the moon landing didnaEUR (TM)t happen, or that 9/11 was an inside job, or that thereaEUR (TM)s a deep state that secretly runs the country? These answers, and many more, are illuminated in this most vital contribution to the national conversation.--Michael Shermer, PhD, publisher, Skeptic magazine aEURoeGaskin has written a solid, evidence-based guide to why ordinary people end up believing conspiracy theories, and what can be done about it. He covers the psychology, the history, and even the math of why big conspiracies tend to fall apart. The chapter on debunking is refreshingly realistic--facts alone rarely work, empathy and patience matter, and sometimes nothing works at all. If you're studying conspiracy beliefs, this is a great place to start.aEUR--Mick West, author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole aEURoeGaskin offers an engaging exploration of conspiracy theories and their effects on society. Taking a cross-disciplinary perspective, Gaskin moves beyond the particulars of the theories themselves to illuminate the numerous forces that produce and sustain them. This addition to the literature is a 'must' for any student seeking to better understand this timely and timeless phenomenon.aEUR--Joseph E. Uscinski, PhD, Department of Political Science, University of Miami -