Ordinary people can generate conspiracy theories on demand

Evidence

You can even see the same patterns in action when you ask people to make up conspiracy theories on the spot. In our ‘CONSPIRE’ study, we tasked people in the US state of Georgia to come up with their own conspiracy theories about the increase in Covid-19 cases following the relaxation of lockdown measures in May of 2020. Conspiracies ranged from: ‘The government elite wants to kill as many people as possible’ (nefarious intention), to: ‘The Democrats have invented the coronavirus so that they can eliminate wealthy older voters’ (persecuted victim). — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 218

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Conspiracy theories satisfy epistemic, existential, and social needs — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 179; Satire can out-produce real conspiracy theories using the same formula — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 749; Stigma level, not truth, determines which conspiracy beliefs reach mass audiences. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 417 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Satire can out-produce real conspiracy theories using the same formula #exemplifies (0.85) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 749