Psychology of the Conspiracy Theorist

[SAYIT]

There is no doubt that conspiracies exist but there is in all rational peeps much doubt that everything is conspiracy driven. Far more interesting than the loony theories of the Twilight Zoners is the psychology of the loons themselves.
The following link contains a broad explanation of the workings of the theorist's mind, links to professional studies on the matter and even a test which could enable not-quite-over-the-edgers the opportunity to save themselves from further lunacy and embarrassment. It is but one of many professional opinions on your state of mind. To those of you who are already too far gone? Sorry, but this probably will be of no help to you. Enjoy!

Personality and Conspiracy Theories: What Your Beliefs Say About You | Psychology Today

 

[Mad Scientist]

I figger you posted this because of the discussion we had yesterday in the "This is what happened on 9/11" thread right?

I took the test. Wanna' know what I scored?

But first, what do you THINK I scored?

 

[SAYIT]

I figger you posted this because of the discussion we had yesterday in the "This is what happened on 9/11" thread right?
I took the test. Wanna' know what I scored?
But first, what do you THINK I scored?

Really, Mad, I don't care what you scored. The test was open book and self-graded and as I told Daws, I find the psychology of conspiracy theorists to be far more interesting than their theories.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

you are a cowardly conspiracy theorist who worships the conspiracy THEORIES of the government to no end no matter how many times they have been disproven.you believe in this loony conspiracy theory.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/consp...911-conspiracy-theory-in-under-5-minutes.html


the fact that you listen to anything agent Dawgshit says,if I had known that,I would never have even tried to reason with you on this and should have known you only see what you want to see.Like all official conspiracy theory apologists,when challenged to debunk this video,as we both know,you always cowardly run off with your tail between your legs.

 

[SAYIT]

you are a cowardly conspiracy theorist who worships the conspiracy THEORIES of the government to no end no matter how many times they have been disproven.you belived in this loony conspiracy theory.

Dude, you're loonier than the friutcake my family has been regifting the past 40 years. No offense ... we love that old fruitcake.

 

[uscitizen]

Obama is gonnna take our guns away from us!

 

[LA RAM FAN]

you are a cowardly conspiracy theorist who worships the conspiracy THEORIES of the government to no end no matter how many times they have been disproven.you belived in this loony conspiracy theory.

Dude, you're loonier than the friutcake my family has been regifting the past 40 years. No offense ... we love that old fruitcake.

as always,you prove my case,you run off with your tail between your legs like the coward troll you are everytime your challenged to watch that video and disprove it since your afraid of the truth as you just proved.as always,you come back with pathetic one liners when your defeated.nice job.congrats.I rest my case.

 

[Rat in the Hat]

you are a cowardly conspiracy theorist who worships the conspiracy THEORIES of the government to no end no matter how many times they have been disproven.you belived in this loony conspiracy theory.

Dude, you're loonier than the friutcake my family has been regifting the past 40 years. No offense ... we love that old fruitcake.

You're going to end up on his ignore list. With the rest of the sane posters.

 

[SAYIT]

Obama is gonnna take our guns away from us!

Oh no! How will I protect my family from these loony conspiracy theorists?

 

[Rat in the Hat]

And now, to show his limited repertoire, Rimjob will call me obsessed, or post about farts.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

SAYIT needs to consult these psycholgists and get some help from them.They could help him get over this fear he has of not being able to deal with the truth on government corruption and having to live in denial about it his whole lifeto make him feel that he is secure in this country.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGbEJ3pXwWM]Psychologists Explain 911 Denial - YouTube[/ame]

 

[SAYIT]

you are a cowardly conspiracy theorist who worships the conspiracy THEORIES of the government to no end no matter how many times they have been disproven.you belived in this loony conspiracy theory.

Dude, you're loonier than the friutcake my family has been regifting the past 40 years. No offense ... we love that old fruitcake.

as always,you prove my case,you run off with your tail between your legs like the coward troll you are everytime your challenged to watch that video and disprove it since your afraid of the truth as you just proved.as always,you come back with pathetic one liners when yor defeated.nice job.congrats.I rest my case.

The case only you believe you have.
I understand why one such as you would turn off his board REP rating but you can't hide from the fact that only a couple of hundred posters have found your shrill, desperate braying to be worthy of their thanks. Evidently they don't want to be connected with you in any way. I feel dirty just responding to your silliness, Princess.

 

[eots]

Dude, you're loonier than the friutcake my family has been regifting the past 40 years. No offense ... we love that old fruitcake.

as always,you prove my case,you run off with your tail between your legs like the coward troll you are everytime your challenged to watch that video and disprove it since your afraid of the truth as you just proved.as always,you come back with pathetic one liners when yor defeated.nice job.congrats.I rest my case.

The case only you believe you have.
I understand why one such as you would turn off his board REP rating but you can't hide from the fact that only a couple of hundred posters have found your shrill, desperate braying to be worthy of their thanks. Evidently they don't want to be connected with you in any way. I feel dirty just responding to your silliness, Princess.

is this your little conspiracy theory...lol...what a moron

 

[Mad Scientist]

Obama is gonnna take our guns away from us!

Well not really, only the Bushmaster Military style ones that were used in the Sandy Hook shootings.

 

[uscitizen]

Obama is gonnna take our guns away from us!

Well not really, only the Bushmaster Military style ones that were used in the Sandy Hook shootings.

Thanks for verification.

 

[Truthmatters]

and the fireman shooting the other day

 

[LA RAM FAN]

as always,you prove my case,you run off with your tail between your legs like the coward troll you are everytime your challenged to watch that video and disprove it since your afraid of the truth as you just proved.as always,you come back with pathetic one liners when yor defeated.nice job.congrats.I rest my case.

The case only you believe you have.
I understand why one such as you would turn off his board REP rating but you can't hide from the fact that only a couple of hundred posters have found your shrill, desperate braying to be worthy of their thanks. Evidently they don't want to be connected with you in any way. I feel dirty just responding to your silliness, Princess.

is this your little conspiracy theory...lol...what a moron

Welcome to the world of SAYIT and how he debates.Everytime you ask him to prove that short five minute video to be wrong and challenge him to do so,like all frady cat deniars,he cowardly runs off and all he can do is come back with pathetic one liners all the time in defeat since he knows he is cornered.

 

[GuyPinestra]

I took the test, I don't know why.

Convinced on 9/11, 7/7, JFK, AIDS and climate change.

Somewhat on vaccines and UFO's.

50-50 on Lady Di.

But Hell, I already KNEW that...

 

[SAYIT]

More on this fascinating disease:

The Inner Worlds of Conspiracy Believers - US News and World Report

By Bruce Bower, Science News

Shortly after terrorist attacks destroyed the World Trade Center and mangled the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, conspiracy theories blossomed about secret and malevolent government plots behind the tragic events. A report scheduled to appear in an upcoming Applied Cognitive Psychology offers a preliminary psychological profile of people who believe in 9/11 conspiracies.

A team led by psychologist Viren Swami of the University of Westminster in London identified several traits associated with subscribing to 9/11 conspiracies, at least among British citizens. These characteristics consist of backing one or more conspiracy theories unrelated to 9/11, frequently talking about 9/11 conspiracy beliefs with likeminded friends and others, taking a cynical stance toward politics, mistrusting authority, endorsing democratic practices, feeling generally suspicious toward others and displaying an inquisitive, imaginative outlook.

“Often, the proof offered as evidence for a conspiracy is not specific to one incident or issue, but is used to justify a general pattern of conspiracy ideas,” Swami says.

His conclusion echoes a 1994 proposal by sociologist Ted Goertzel of Rutgers–Camden in New Jersey. After conducting random telephone interviews of 347 New Jersey residents, Goertzel proposed that each of a person’s convictions about secret plots serves as evidence for other conspiracy beliefs, bypassing any need for confirming evidence.

A belief that the government is covering up its involvement in the 9/11 attacks thus feeds the idea that the government is also hiding evidence of extraterrestrial contacts or that John F. Kennedy was not killed by a lone gunman.

Goertzel says the new study provides an intriguing but partial look at the inner workings of conspiracy thinking. Such convictions critically depend on what he calls “selective skepticism.” Conspiracy believers are highly doubtful about information from the government or other sources they consider suspect. But, without criticism, believers accept any source that supports their preconceived views, he says.

“Arguments advanced by conspiracy theorists tell you more about the believer than about the event,” Goertzel says.

Swami’s finding that 9/11 conspiracy believers frequently spoke with likeminded individuals supports the notion that “conspiracy thinkers constitute a community of believers,” remarks historian Robert Goldberg of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Goldberg has studied various conspiracy theories in the United States.

Conspiracy thinkers share an optimistic conviction that they can find “the truth,” spread it to the masses and foster social change, Goldberg asserts.

 

[GuyPinestra]

More on this fascinating disease:

The Inner Worlds of Conspiracy Believers - US News and World Report

By Bruce Bower, Science News

Shortly after terrorist attacks destroyed the World Trade Center and mangled the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, conspiracy theories blossomed about secret and malevolent government plots behind the tragic events. A report scheduled to appear in an upcoming Applied Cognitive Psychology offers a preliminary psychological profile of people who believe in 9/11 conspiracies.

A team led by psychologist Viren Swami of the University of Westminster in London identified several traits associated with subscribing to 9/11 conspiracies, at least among British citizens. These characteristics consist of backing one or more conspiracy theories unrelated to 9/11, frequently talking about 9/11 conspiracy beliefs with likeminded friends and others, taking a cynical stance toward politics, mistrusting authority, endorsing democratic practices, feeling generally suspicious toward others and displaying an inquisitive, imaginative outlook.

“Often, the proof offered as evidence for a conspiracy is not specific to one incident or issue, but is used to justify a general pattern of conspiracy ideas,” Swami says.

His conclusion echoes a 1994 proposal by sociologist Ted Goertzel of Rutgers–Camden in New Jersey. After conducting random telephone interviews of 347 New Jersey residents, Goertzel proposed that each of a person’s convictions about secret plots serves as evidence for other conspiracy beliefs, bypassing any need for confirming evidence.

A belief that the government is covering up its involvement in the 9/11 attacks thus feeds the idea that the government is also hiding evidence of extraterrestrial contacts or that John F. Kennedy was not killed by a lone gunman.

Goertzel says the new study provides an intriguing but partial look at the inner workings of conspiracy thinking. Such convictions critically depend on what he calls “selective skepticism.” Conspiracy believers are highly doubtful about information from the government or other sources they consider suspect. But, without criticism, believers accept any source that supports their preconceived views, he says.

“Arguments advanced by conspiracy theorists tell you more about the believer than about the event,” Goertzel says.

Swami’s finding that 9/11 conspiracy believers frequently spoke with likeminded individuals supports the notion that “conspiracy thinkers constitute a community of believers,” remarks historian Robert Goldberg of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Goldberg has studied various conspiracy theories in the United States.

Conspiracy thinkers share an optimistic conviction that they can find “the truth,” spread it to the masses and foster social change, Goldberg asserts.

You call it a 'disease' when even your vaunted sources don't make that leap.

What does that say about you?

Besides the obvious fact that you're a smug, condescending asshole, that is...