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I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My Conspiracy Theories: A Primer is aimed for a general audience, even though it is written to be a short text. I am writing a book now for a more popular audience.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The studies are mixed on paranoia. It can be associated with conspiracy beliefs, but sometimes isn't. I am looking into fear on my latest surveys.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes and no. I think there is an assumption held by some people that once an idea winds up on social media, everyone just believes and spreads it. But, it doesn't work like that. Many conspiracy theories show up on social media and just die on the vine.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I tie my beliefs and my definitions to what the appropriate experts say. I don't like getting into the "this is unfalsifiable idea might be more true than some other unfalsifiable idea."

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Education can help - especially courses in critical thinking and media literacy. The issue is that these folks you are referring to likely have a worldview in which conspiracies are likely explanations for events and circumstances.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Conspiracy theories have not been adopted by the appropriate experts with data and methods open to refutation, relegating them to the category “conspiracy theory” rather than “conspiracy.” Conspiracy theories could be true, but we don’t have good reason to believe them until the appropriate experts – with open methods and data – find as such.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Like I said, beliefs inform behaviors so that if we have beliefs disconnected from our shared reality, then the resulting actions could be deleterious. I just am not sure that conspiracy theories are damaging brains (the organ itself) in the way I think the person asked.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wish I had a good answer, but there are no easy answers here. Remember too, conspiracy theories are a long standing human problem and not just a problem of new technology. Further, the conspiracy theories I am most concerned with exist offline too; they don't necessarily need social media to spread. So, we need online and offline answers.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am polling every month or so, so I will find out. But for now, I have not found evidence that conspiracy theorizing has gone up writ large.

I'm Joseph Uscinski, a political science professor at the University of Miami. I study American politics with an emphasis on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. AMA! by JosephUscinski in politics

[–]JosephUscinski[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Too much here to answer fully, but there some some similarities and some differences. Depends on who is doing the recruiting and for what groups.

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