The dark side of social movements: social identity, non-conformity, and the lure of conspiracy theories.
@article{Sternisko2020TheDS, title={The dark side of social movements: social identity, non-conformity, and the lure of conspiracy theories.}, author={Anni Sternisko and Aleksandra Cichocka and Jay Joseph Van Bavel}, journal={Current opinion in psychology}, year={2020}, volume={35}, pages={ 1-6 } }
40 Citations
Belief in conspiracy theories, aggression, and attitudes towards political violence
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In the last decade, political protest events have been rising in Western democracies. At the same time, there has been a steady increase in the diffusion of conspiracy theories in political…
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Conspiracy beliefs and the individual, relational, and collective selves
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Recent empirical and theoretical developments suggest that endorsement of conspiracy theories can arise from the frustration of social motives. Taking this further, the current review integrates…
American Politics in Two Dimensions: Partisan and Ideological Identities versus Anti‐Establishment Orientations
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Contemporary political ills at the mass behavior level (e.g., outgroup aggression, conspiracy theories) are often attributed to increasing polarization and partisan tribalism. We theorize that many…
Psychological benefits of believing conspiracy theories.
- PsychologyCurrent opinion in psychology
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Conspiratorial Discourses on Social Media: Agendamelding Explorations and COVID-19
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This article examines a recent trend of popular conspiracism advancing in social media settings around the world. Drawing evidence from a national survey conducted in Cyprus, this study scrutinizes…
The COVID‐19 pandemic and the search for structure: Social media and conspiracy theories
- SociologySocial and personality psychology compass
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A model for how the COVID‐19 pandemic has uniquely exacerbated the propagation of conspiracy beliefs and subsequent harmful behaviors is outlined, and interventions and future research are considered to address this seemingly intractable problem.
Just world beliefs, personal success and beliefs in conspiracy theories
- PsychologyCurrent psychology
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A regression showed younger males, with Unjust World beliefs and politically right-wing views, were more likely to endorse Conspiracy Theories, and the discussion revolved around explaining individual differences in accepting these theories.
Panic, pizza and mainstreaming the alt-right: A social media analysis of Pizzagate and the rise of the QAnon conspiracy
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- 2021
The conspiracy theory known as ‘Pizzagate’ gained a cult following on alt-right forums, ultimately prompting one believer to conduct a shooting on the pizzeria identified by online conspiracists. A…
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