The Method Of A Class Exercise

Brian Keeley’s short essay, “Of Conspiracy Theories” discusses conspiracy theories and their value in an epistemological context. Keeley defines a conspiracy theory as “a proposed explanation of some historical event (or events) in terms of the significant causal agency of a relatively small group of persons-the conspirators-acting in secret (Keeley 1999, pg. 116).” Keeley seeks to answer the question of why conspiracy theories are unwarranted. His interest in the warrant of conspiracy theories focuses on ¬the unfalsifiability of conspiracy theories and how conspiracy theories are founded upon an extraordinarily large amount of skepticism. In section III, Keely discusses what a conspiracy theory is, and contends that there is no grounds for

Additionally, she also uses compelling anecdotal evidence to support her argument that the brain of a rational person forms these conspiracy theories as it is a human tendency to latch onto interpretation of facts as they become available. The writer also uses scientific terms like amygdala and theories such as ‘confirmation bias and the ‘backfire effect’ to persuade the readers that conspiracy theories are formed by rational people due to psychological reasons.

When a person is introduced to a conspiracy theory, it has the potential to severely affect the way they view the world, as well as the way their brain processes information. With numerous theories surfacing in the world, and more than 50 percent of Americans believing in at least one conspiracy; it is hard to determine which are real, and which are fiction. As a result of conspiracy theories people stop trusting each other and become less social. An experiment instructed by Sander van der Linden,a Dutch social psychologist in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge, show that the belief in conspiracy theories can cause a person to be less pre-social. In his experiment Dr. Linden separated his participants into three groups, the first group watched a video about conspiracy theories of global warming, the second group watched a video about taking action on global warming, and the third group was a control group which did don't watch any video.   Studies conducted by Willem Prooijen,a social and organizational

Perfectly sane minds possess the possibility of creating the most fascinating narratives. Conspiracies are a way to react to being powerless or uncertain. Economic recessions, terrorists’ attacks, and deaths of the young and famous happen and when they do people do not know what to think or believe. Their minds react in overdrive

In the world today there are events that happen and have stories untold. On the rise are many different twists that come about from events happening. “63 percent of registered American voters believe in at least one political conspiracy theory according to a recent poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University” (“Theories Prosper”). There are many different conspiracy theories in the world today including, included in the top ten lists of conspiracy theories is the Sandy Hook elementary shooting, the Boston Marathon bombings, as well as the September 11th terrorist attacks. Ever wonder how a conspiracy theory comes alive and what is all needed to justify the meaning of a conspiracy theory?

The perpetuation of misinformation can be very difficult to correct and may have lasting effects even after it is discredited. For instance, if an audience is reliant on the information provided by the media to make an informative decision about a topic involving their morals, the validity of the author’s claims will determine the mass majority of their decisions they make in the future. As a result, false information may continue to influence beliefs and attitudes even after being debunked if it is not replaced by an alternate causal explanation.

People come up with crazy ideas all the time, many of which are torn apart by scientific evidence. However, some ideas are crafted so precisely and detailed; they are accepted as fact by millions of people. These alternatives to accepted history are known as Conspiracy Theories, and the people who create them are of a special breed. It is difficult to imagine having the time and passion to craft an alternative reason behind many of the world’s events and tragedies, but these people are born to do so. There is a specific recipe for such a person, a carefully crafted powerful concoction that breeds the hatred for government and the quest for the “truth”. Such people have been around for thousands of years,

If you’re like most folks, who have been socially conditioned in The United States, you will think of the word, “Theory”. This brings two words together creating the phrase, “Conspiracy Theory”. The term was first used the night of November 10th, 2001 by President George W. Bush. "We must speak the truth about terror. Let us never tolerate outrageous conspiracy theories concerning the attacks of September the 11th; malicious lies that attempt to shift the blame away from the terrorists, themselves, away from the guilty. To inflame ethnic hatred is to advance the cause of terror." –President George W. Bush. With this said, George W. Bush literally crushed the credibility of any “Conspiracy Theory” that may ever present itself in any public setting, or conversation regarding the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. In Phrase, “conspiracy theory” there are two words, the first being “conspiracy”. The active word, “Theory” next. By definition, a theory is only an Idea, a Concept, or a Hypothesis. For example, in theory, if one were to buy a Lottery Ticket, that person could win a lump sum of money. Now, without buying a lottery ticket, the chance of winning is only “Theoretical”. However, once the ticket is bought… the chance of that person winning is now a possibility. With the purchase of a lottery ticket, a winning chance changes from a theory to a possibility. With that, one can determine that if more tickets are bought, the chance of winning progressively becomes more likely of a possibility. Now we can use this same model, on the idea of “Conspiracy Theories”, as long as there is no evidence presented, such claims remain as “Conspiracy Theories”, forever. However, once the smallest piece of evidence is presented, no matter how insignificant or circumstantial that piece of evidence may seem, the once called “Conspiracy Theory” becomes a possibility. Once more and

The interview was took place on the 9th of November in the classroom of 11- Mead. Ms. Kyra Mallari and Kayla Flores where tasked to be the interviewers for Mr. Robert James Nitura, High School teacher of Miriam College. The Interview was on Western Conspiracy Theories, with it being categorized into 4: Political Conspiracy Theories, Extraterrestrial and Unearthly Creatures & Legends, Existential Conspiracy Theories, and Historical Conspiracy Theories. The Interviewers goal for the interview was to capture the audience’s attention through the exchange of the interviewer’s and interviewee’s beliefs and opinions, Expound the interviewee’s knowledge on the topic through the use of the Maieutic method, and look into and give value to western conspiracy

The author values that we as the general audience dramatize everything by nature, no matter how small the stories are. He also emphasizes the word “paranoia” throughout the book, because that is what he believes the general audience will take away from the idea of conspiracy. Conspiracy can be such a conflict with how we perceive the world around us. From reading this article one can see that how we process the thought of a tragic event, we make our stories how we want them to end. That is where, David Aaronovitch argues that conspiracy does not have power but the idea of conspiracy gives it power, he supported this by using these terms: sarcastic tone, allusion, persuasive appeals, general diction, and logically organized.

People tend to carefully hang a frame in their minds as if they were, they had just moved into a new home. As soon as people hear something that favors their perspective from what the claim is a legitimate source, they would argue, that whatever that source is saying, is true. “Every narrative make assumptions about how the world works, what is important, what makes sense, what should be. All frames are selective because they are based on decisions about what to include and exclude,” (Schudson, 2011). Schudson’s remarks about how people from certain perspectives frame a certain event by his theory being “Frame Theory”. Frame Theory in Schudson terms, is that everyone frames something in their own image, whether doing it subconsciously or purposely, it’s instinctive to human nature. This can be amplified by the media, stereotypes, and by one’s own belief. James Bamford, who wrote the novel “A Pretext of War” had made the strongest impression of criticizing the Bush

The last book on cultural conspiracy to be examined exemplifies newer trend in the historical scholarship on conspiracy on American culture since sixteenth century up to nineteen century. John Farrell’s Paranoia and Modernity study bases on works of historians through variety of detailed readings who have represented variety of symptoms of paranoia from deluded judgement to importance in society. The book as a whole reflect on historians as “metaphorical extension” who demoralize individuals ability to differentiate subject’s thought rational delusion and schemed apparatus. Farrell’s book provides a fascinating glimpse into modern

And an individual experiencing a stressful life event may begin to engage in a particular way of thinking, such as seeing patterns that don't exist." (Putting the stress on conspiracy theories: Examining associations between psychological stress, anxiety, and belief in conspiracy theories)/ One more psychological phemomena which drives people to look for another control sources when they lose it, is called compensatory contol.A study „ Achieving Order Through the Mind, Our Institutions, and the Heavens “ showed that that when personal control is threatened, “people can preserve a sense of order by perceiving patterns in noise or adhering to superstitions and conspiracies.”In such wise, it can be supposed that the first thing, which could help to reduce the number of conspiracy theories supporters is the reduction of stress. Of course, it

In the study „Conspiracy endorsement as Motivated Reasoning: the moderating roles of political knowledge and trust authors that endorsement of conspiracy theories is a motivated process that serves both ideological and psychological needs of people.

Also, the government uses Roger Protection Motivation theory (Severin & Tankard 1992, p.159) by arousing fear to help influence the cognition, attitude and behaviors intention through the severity, probability and efficacy of an event (Rogers, 1983). Fear appeal like self-censorship; out-of-bound markers and hefty defamation suit are used extensively to control the media and prevent dissenting criticism or anything that will deconstruct the nation identity and subject loyalty.