fbpx
$0.00

No products in the cart.

$0.00

No products in the cart.

Exclusive Content:

The Enigmatic Encounter: A Supernatural Incident in 1936

In the year 1936, in the quaint town of...

The Dark Truths Behind New Orleans’ Most Infamous Haunted Home

The imposing three-story French Quarter mansion at 1140 Royal...

Zen and the Art of Ghost Hunting

“Now don’t take this the wrong way,” my coworker...

New study finds most ways of extinguishing conspiracy theories don’t work

A recent scientific review suggests that alternative strategies may be more effective than simply debunking conspiracy theories with counterarguments.

Interest in conspiracy theories has grown in the past decade, and skyrocketed during the pandemic when some failure to comply with public health recommendations was associated with conspiracy beliefs.

The review, reported in the journal PLOS One, is the first of its kind, as previous studies have been more concerned with understanding the psychological underpinnings of conspiracy beliefs.

The review found that many methods for changing conspiracy beliefs are ineffective, particularly those that involve arguing against entrenched beliefs.

Subscribe to Paranormality Magazine and get instant access to all our issues

as well as exclusive content.

However, the review highlighted some emerging practices that might be successfully wielded against conspiracy theories.

The most promising was training to teach people how to critically analyze information to distinguish pseudoscience from the real thing.

“Information inoculation” can also be effective. In this strategy, conspiracy theory counterarguments are presented alongside a warning that exposure to misinformation is to follow before the subject is exposed to the theory.

The review suggests that interventions may decrease belief in certain conspiracy theories by pointing out issues in the information presented, but they do not take away the social causes underlying belief.

O’Mahony and his colleagues are developing a video game aimed at honing players’ critical thinking skills. Such games have already been shown to be effective in combating fake news.

The review is seen as a timely endeavor, but it is important to consider the spread of conspiracy beliefs as a social process.

Factors like people’s personalities, paranoias, need for closure, financial insecurities, and feelings of marginalization may all influence what conspiracies they ascribe to and what interventions work on them.

While the review points out several potentially promising lines of research, it also highlights the need to replicate the studies demonstrating successful intervention, as well as the challenge of scaling them up into policies. There is also a current lack of evidence that any of these interventions have a lasting impact.

source: LiveScience

The Latest Print Issues

Subscribe

Digital 2.99/Month or 32.99/Annually

Get early access to each month’s issue sent straight to your inbox. Get instant access to all our back issues. Get instant full website access to all our subscriber articles and interviews

Latest News

Hudson Valley Woman’s Frightening Run-In Remains Cryptic

A woman walking her dog in Carmel, New York,...

Legend Grows of Elusive ‘Thundercow’ Roaming Near Lake Thunderbird

Over the past year, residents around Oklahoma's Lake Thunderbird...

Mysterious “Monsterland” Lives Up to Eerie Reputation

For well over a century, a remote five-mile wooded...

Unveiling the Dark Origins of Valentine’s Day: From Lupercalia to Modern Romance

Delve into the eerie roots of Valentine's Day, where...

Page 13

Physicists Create Record-Breaking 40-Minute Time Crystal

A team of physicists from TU Dortmund University have...

Mystifying Superhumans Walk Among Us

There are certain individuals in this world who possess...

Scientists Achieve ‘Inception’ Like Real-Time Communication with Sleeping Minds

In what seems like a science fiction scenario come...

Reader Submitted

The Elizabethtown Paranormal Society & Jamestown Ky Paranormal Research Center’s Adventures

Post by: The Elizabethtown Paranormal Society (TEPS) Buckle up, paranormal...

When a Malevolent Presence Disrupted a Phone Call

I was recently watching a live on Tiktok with...

MH370 UFO Videos, Is It Military Testing or Extraterrestrial Encounters

By Dr. M. Timothy MounceCo-author: CJ Dearinger "Planes go up,...
Brandon Grimes
Brandon Grimes is a seasoned paranormal journalist known for his relentless pursuit of the unexplained. With an insatiable curiosity and a keen eye for detail, he has dedicated his career to uncovering the mysteries that lie beyond the realms of conventional understanding. Brandon's approach to paranormal journalism is characterized by a healthy blend of skepticism and open-mindedness. He firmly believes in critically examining the evidence, challenging assumptions, and presenting the truth to his readers. His methodical research and commitment to unbiased reporting have earned him the respect of both believers and skeptics alike. Throughout his career, Brandon has traveled to countless haunted locations, delving deep into the dark underbelly of the paranormal world. He has interviewed witnesses, experts, and even those who claim to possess supernatural abilities, always striving to bring forth stories that would otherwise remain hidden in the shadows.

Hudson Valley Woman’s Frightening Run-In Remains Cryptic

A woman walking her dog in Carmel, New York, claims to have encountered something bizarre and frightening one night in February. Some large footprints...

Legend Grows of Elusive ‘Thundercow’ Roaming Near Lake Thunderbird

Over the past year, residents around Oklahoma's Lake Thunderbird have reported sightings of an elusive, uncatchable cow roaming the area that has been dubbed...

Mysterious “Monsterland” Lives Up to Eerie Reputation

For well over a century, a remote five-mile wooded area near Leominster, Massachusetts has been the source of persistent paranormal tales, earning it the...