Changing Conspiracy Beliefs through Rationality and Ridiculing

被引：80

作者：

Orosz, Gabor ^{[1
,2
]}

Kreko, Peter ^{[1
,3
]}

Paskuj, Benedek ^{[4
]}

Toth-Kiraly, Istvan ^{[1
,5
]}

Bothe, Beata ^{[1
,5
]}

Roland-Levy, Christine ^{[6
]}

机构：

[1] Eotvos Lorand Univ, Inst Psychol, Dept Social Psychol, Budapest, Hungary

[2] Hungarian Acad Sci, Res Ctr Nat Sci, Inst Cognit Neurosci & Psychol, Budapest, Hungary

[3] Indiana Univ, Cent Eurasian Studies Dept, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA

[4] UCL, Dept Psychol, London, England

[5] Eotvos Lorand Univ, Doctoral Sch Psychol, Budapest, Hungary

[6] Univ Reims, Dept Psychol, C2S, Reims, France

来源：

FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY | 2016年 / 7卷

关键词：

conspiracy theory; belief; rationality; ridiculing; empathy; PREJUDICE; SYSTEM;

D O I：

10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01525

中图分类号：

B84 [心理学];

学科分类号：

04 ; 0402 ;

摘要：

Conspiracy theory (CT) beliefs can be harmful. How is it possible to reduce them effectively? Three reduction strategies were tested in an online experiment using general and well-known CT beliefs on a comprehensive randomly assigned Hungarian sample (N = 813): exposing rational counter CT arguments, ridiculing those who hold CT beliefs, and empathizing with the targets of CT beliefs. Several relevant individual differences were measured. Rational and ridiculing arguments were effective in reducing CT, whereas empathizing with the targets of CTs had no effect. Individual differences played no role in CT reduction, but the perceived intelligence and competence of the individual who conveyed the CT belief-reduction information contributed to the success of the CT belief reduction. Rational arguments targeting the link between the object of belief and its characteristics appear to be an effective tool in fighting conspiracy theory beliefs.

引用

页数：9

共 36 条

[31] Conspiracist ideation in Britain and Austria: Evidence of a monological belief system and associations between individual psychological differences and real-world and fictitious conspiracy theories [J].