Includes bibliographical references (pages 317-348) and index.
Contents:
Prologue: The conspiracy effect : why smart people believe blatantly wrong things for apparently rational reasons -- Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories. Conspiracies and conspiracy theories : the difference in thinking and the difference it makes -- A brief history of conspiracy theories and conspiracists : toward a science of conspiracism -- Proxy and tribal conspiracism : how conspiratorial beliefs are reinforced as truths -- Constructive conspiracism : paranoia, pessimism, and the evolutionary origins of conspiracy cognition -- A case study in conspiracism : the sovereign citizens conspiracy theory -- How to Determine Which Conspiracy Theories Are Real. The conspiracy detection kit : how to tell if a conspiracy theory is true or false -- Truthers and birthers : the 9/11 and Obama conspiracy theories -- JFK blown away : the mother of all conspiracy theories -- Real conspiracies : what if they really are out to get you? -- The deadliest conspiracy in history : the trigger of World War I and how conspiracies really work -- Real and imagined enemies : conspiracies in reality and in our imaginations -- Talking to Conspiracists and Rebuilding Trust in Truth. How to talk to conspiracy theorists : engaging with people with whom we disagree -- How to rebuild trust in truth : reason, rationality, and empiricism in reality-based communities -- Coda: What people believe about conspiracy theories and why : results of the Skeptic Research Center survey.
Summary:
Nothing happens by accident, everything is connected, and there are no coincidences: that is the essence of conspiratorial thinking. Long a fringe part of the American political landscape, conspiracy theories are now mainstream: 147 members of Congress voted in favor of objections to the 2020 presidential... Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.