Call for submissions
Preconference to the EASP General Meeting
Belief in conspiracy theories: New insights and current challenges
Kevin Winter, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, k.winter@iwm-tuebingen.de
Lotte Pummerer, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, l.pummerer@iwm-tuebingen.de
Kai Sassenberg, Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Universität Tübingen, k.sassenberg@iwm-tuebingen.de
During the presidency of Donald Trump and the Covid-19 pandemic, conspiracist narratives and discussions about misinformation became a core part of the societal discourse. This development inspired a multitude of research endeavours and led to an explosion of social psychological publications on the topic of conspiracy beliefs since 2020. This preconference provides a platform for scientific exchange about new developments and challenges that social psychological research on conspiracy beliefs is facing.
Talks might cover (but are not necessarily limited to) research questions like:
- Which motives or individual differences contribute to engaging with, or spreading, conspiracy theories?
- Which situational or social factors facilitate the spread of conspiracy theories?
- What are the consequences of believing in and being confronted with conspiracy theories?
- What interventions might reduce the detrimental impact of conspiracy beliefs?
- Are there differences regarding effects and correlates of specific conspiracy beliefs vs. a broader conspiracist mentality?
The preconference is scheduled for June 30th 2023 (full day) in the Didactic centre of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (i.e., the venue of the EASP General Meeting). We plan a single panel meeting with breaks, allowing a space to interact and discuss with other participants. We encourage presenters from all career stages.
We are more than happy that Prof. Michał Bilewicz (University of Warsaw) has accepted our invitation to hold a keynote on
The Role of Trauma in Conspiracy Beliefs.
Moreover, there will be a round-table discussion on
Conspiracy Beliefs vs. Conspiracy Mentality.
If you would like to present, please submit an abstract (max. 1500 characters) here before March 15th 2023: https://tinyurl.com/mrrytnat