Conspiracy Theories and how to fight them

This project is in the process of accumulating links to books and articles about conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories are everywhere today, and they are a threat both to society as a whole and to the scientific community. This project is a compendium of books and other sources of information on how to make things better.

• Book review: The Intelligence Trap by David Robson
  • a great book on how even intelligent people have blind spots and get things wrong
  • Robson has some constructive suggestions for avoiding the traps - and it is more than just vague statements like “teach critical thinking skills”
  • if you are an intelligent person, you need to:
    • look for information that contradicts your point of view
    • use counterfactual thinking
    • try intellectual humility
    • understand your own bias blind spots (including confirmation bias)
    • develop “reflective skills” to understand your emotional reactions and how they affect your decisions
• Book review: An Ugly Truth by Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang
  • an outline of the many problems with Facebook - in particular, how it has been used for misinformation
  • Facebook’s leaders deliberately choose to steer people to controversy - because they prioritize “growth” over everything else (including truth)
  • anything that increases the amount of time people spend on Facebook is good for them
  • the book is pretty scary - a good look at the arrogant side of high-tech leaders
• Book review: How to Talk to a Science Denier by Lee McIntyre
  • an outline of some approaches to discuss topics like climate change denial with people who don’t believe in what the experts say
  • many science deniers resist the truth because their beliefs have become part of their “identity”
  • the approaches that are advocated by McIntyre are still a “work in progress”
  • doing nothing about science deniers is not a good option
  • there are no guarantees, but McIntyre believes that an effective way to fight science denial is “technique rebuttal” (show how the anti-science arguments rely on cherry-picked data, fake experts, faulty reasoning, and impossibly high standards of scientific proof)
• Book review: Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them edited by Joseph Uscinski
  • This book is a compendium of 30 articles and academic papers on the topic of conspiracy theories: the structure of typical conspiracy theories, the psychology of belief, the potential impacts on society, and some techniques for combatting conspiracy theories.
• Conspiracy Theory Handbook by Stephan Lewandowsky and John Cook
  • A useful short guide (12 pages) about how conspiracy theorists think and why they profess illogical ideas
    • to combat a feeling of powerlessness
    • to explain unlikely events
    • to cope with big threats (blame them on conspirators)
    • to dispute mainstream politics
  • This guide explains some constructive ways to argue with people who believe conspiracy theories
    • Prebunking - show examples of manipulative arguments (such as the tobacco lobby) - this makes people more skeptical of conspiracy theory arguments
    • Fact-based debunking - communicate accurate information
    • Logic-based debunking - show examples of flawed reasoning in conspiracy theories
    • Use trusted messengers to counter conspiracy theories
    • Affirm the value of critical thinking
    • Show empathy / avoid ridicule
• Book review: How to Think Like Socrates by Donald J. Robertson
  • A useful book about “thinking”
  • The book draws from ancient Greek history and the life of the Greek philosopher Socrates
  • Today’s psychotherapy techniques are direct descendants of the Socratic Method that Socrates used to clarify his own thinking

In addition to the books listed above, there have been some news reports about successful attempts to counter election conspiracy theories:

• New data sheds light on one method to combat election lies, NPR news article, August 5, 2022
  • The article focused on misinformation about election security.
    • The article cites a study done by the Voting Rights Lab... the important factor is to share nonpartisan messages - they talked about the importance of preserving democracy rather than any political issues.
    • They made an appeal to voters' values of "freedom, independence, and a longing for unity" and pointing out that the Big Lie is just a partisan power grab.
    • They used statements like "political candidates can challenge election results. But our system requires proof and following the law" and "let's keep improving our elections and make them more fair, equal, and transparent"
• To Combat Misinformation, Start with Connection Not Correction, NPR news article, Sept. 30, 2024
  • A short article on how to have effective conversations about misinformation. The article gives six pieces of advice:
    • 1. Consider using the term "rumor" or "misleading content" instead of "misinformation" - the other person may be less defensive when you talk this way
    • 2. Take time to understand why the other person believes the misleading content - this may take multiple conversations: ask about the other person's family history and life experiences, then pivoting to current events and opinions
    • 3. Talk about your sources, and discuss why you find them trustworthy - some sources are knowledgeable, some don't have good credentials, some have a conflict of interest
    • 4. You're not trying to change anyone's core beliefs... you're simply addressing a piece of information that is not correct - you want to build trust, and challenging core beliefs doesn't work
    • 5. When you do attempt to correct misleading information, provide a detailed fact-check - a "factual alternative," or saying what is actually true, is more effective than just saying a piece of information is false
    • 6. Don't expect things to change after one conversation - you might correct some wrong information in the short term, but over time, many people go back to their old ideas