London Esoteric - The psychology of conspiracy theories

SEEKING BIG BROTHER The psychology of conspiracy theories with Chris French Saturday 28th April 2018 from 3:00 pm In the age of the Trump Presidency conspiracy theories abound about which shadowy forces might have engineered his rise to power. At the same time the Russians have shown their usual mastery of disinformation by throwing up a smokescreen of conspiracy theories as to who might have poisoned the Skirpals, with supposed éminences grises ranging from Mossad to the Swedish government. It is almost inevitable that any significant event will become the subject of conspiracy theorising. No one denies that real conspiracies do actually occur from time to time, but equally it is undeniable that unfounded conspiracies can have serious and damaging consequences for society. Why are conspiracy theories so popular? Why are some people more susceptible to conspiratorial thinking than others? Such questions have in recent years become the focus of intense research by psychologists and other social scientists. Professor Chris French will discuss the prominent role of the conspiracy theory in our so-called "post-truth" society. Tickets £12 including a Hendrick's Gin cocktail. Please click here to buy. Chris French Professor Chris French is Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as being a Patron of the British Humanist Association. He has published over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. For more than a decade he has edited The Skeptic magazine.

SEEKING BIG BROTHER
The psychology of conspiracy theories with Chris French
Saturday 28th April 2018 from 3:00 pm

In the age of the Trump Presidency conspiracy theories abound about which shadowy forces might have engineered his rise to power. At the same time the Russians have shown their usual mastery of disinformation by throwing up a smokescreen of conspiracy theories as to who might have poisoned the Skirpals, with supposed éminences grises ranging from Mossad to the Swedish government.

It is almost inevitable that any significant event will become the subject of conspiracy theorising. No one denies that real conspiracies do actually occur from time to time, but equally it is undeniable that unfounded conspiracies can have serious and damaging consequences for society. Why are conspiracy theories so popular? Why are some people more susceptible to conspiratorial thinking than others? Such questions have in recent years become the focus of intense research by psychologists and other social scientists.

Professor Chris French will discuss the prominent role of the conspiracy theory in our so-called "post-truth" society.

Tickets £12 including a Hendrick's Gin cocktail. Please click here to buy.

Chris French
Professor Chris French is Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, as well as being a Patron of the British Humanist Association. He has published over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics within psychology. For more than a decade he has edited The Skeptic magazine.

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