North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?
US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty
Anti-Empire >>
A bird's eye view of the vineyard
Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb
The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?
What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are
Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of
The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by
The Saker >>
Trains Cancelled After Union Tells Drivers Not to Walk on Snow Tue Jan 07, 2025 09:00 | Will Jones
Train services were cancelled over the weekend after the?trade union Aslef?told drivers ? who've recently been given a bumper 15% pay rise by Labour ? not to walk on snow, calling it "basic safety stuff".
The post Trains Cancelled After Union Tells Drivers Not to Walk on Snow appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Forget China. With Policies Like Net Zero, Britain is its Own Worst Enemy Tue Jan 07, 2025 07:00 | Ben Pile
Conservative MP Nick Timothy frets that Net Zero makes Britain vulnerable to sabotage by China and Russia. This misses the point, says Ben Pile. With self-harming policies like Net Zero we're our own worst enemy.
The post Forget China. With Policies Like Net Zero, Britain is its Own Worst Enemy appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
News Round-Up Tue Jan 07, 2025 01:14 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
It?s Not Far-Right to Stand Up for Child Abuse Victims, Tories Tell Starmer Mon Jan 06, 2025 19:30 | Will Jones
The Conservatives have told Keir Starmer that "it is not far-Right to stand up for the victims" of child sexual abuse and that "smearing people who raise those issues is exactly how this got covered up in the first place".
The post It’s Not Far-Right to Stand Up for Child Abuse Victims, Tories Tell Starmer appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Justin Trudeau, Last of the Democratically-Elected Lockdown Tyrants, Resigns in Tears Mon Jan 06, 2025 17:25 | Toby Young
Justin Trudeau has resigned, having lost the confidence of his party. This is bad news for Starmer and another sign electorates are fed up with radical progressive zealotry dressed up as technocratic managerialism.
The post Justin Trudeau, Last of the Democratically-Elected Lockdown Tyrants, Resigns in Tears appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
After Iraq, Libya, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, the Pentagon attacks Yemen, by Thier... Tue Jan 07, 2025 06:58 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?113 Fri Dec 20, 2024 10:42 | en
Pentagon could create a second Kurdish state Fri Dec 20, 2024 10:31 | en
How Washington and Ankara Changed the Regime in Damascus , by Thierry Meyssan Tue Dec 17, 2024 06:58 | en
Statement by President Bashar al-Assad on the Circumstances Leading to his Depar... Mon Dec 16, 2024 13:26 | en
Voltaire Network >>
international |
miscellaneous |
opinion/analysis
Saturday January 21, 2012 17:01
by Rob Brotherton
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3I am a believer in some of the wilder Conspiracy Theories, like the one that they made up the story about Weapons of Mass Distruction in Iraq...... I know, 'crazy' right! Coming in at number 645 on my list of conspiracies is the belief that our ESRI here in Ireland is just a Government mouthpiece, using it's 'scientific' research to provide proof for whatever the Government policy of the day is. The ESRC which you are working for on this 'survey' would be a sister organisation to our own ESRI
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/
So, no thanks, I don't want to give you an insight into my psychology because ..... well.... lets just say I don't think our governments are working for the general good of our populations and more specifically I seriously doubt they are studying the very people who question their incessant lies to help us. Help demonise us morelike.
1. Would it be fair/accurate or correct to say that you are conducting research into the psycholoogy of conspiracy theorists, as opposed to the psychology of conspiracy theories? It may seem like a semantic point, however, I think it is important.
2. Can you let me know the context of your research: what is the title/subject matter of your Phd?
3. Is the model/theory you are using a social one or a therapy-type, individual psychological state-type one?
4. What is your definition-for the purposes of your research-of a conspiracy theory?
Thanks.
Hi there, huge thanks to whomever posted this here for me, and massive thanks to anyone who has filled in the survey.
To respond to the questions above...
1. While I wouldn't say I'm looking at the psychology of 'conspiracy theorists', it is certainly correct to say I'm looking at people's beliefs rather than at conspiracy theories themselves. My work has no implications for the objective truth of any particular claim of conspiracy, nor is it intended to. Rather I'm interested in how people come to hold the beliefs that they do, whether it is believing a conspiracy or disbelieving a conspiracy.
2. My entire PhD is concerned with belief (and disbelief) in conspiracies
3. My research methods are based in experimental psychology - experimental in the sense that I conduct empirical research, as opposed to offering therapy. I'm look for general trends in the population, rather than examining individuals.
4. The definition of conspiracy theory is a complex issue! The short answer is 'the assumption of conspiracy when other explanations are more probable'. If you have 25 minutes to spare you can listen to me speak about defining conspiracy theory in much greater depth here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6s_Jw3RU9g