Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events as the secretive plots of powerful people. While conspiracy theories are not typically supported by evidence, this doesn’t stop them from blossoming. Conspiracy theories damage society in a number of ways. To help minimise these harmful effects, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, by Stephan Lewandowsky and John Cook, explains why conspiracy theories are so popular, how to identify the traits of conspiratorial thinking, and what are effective response strategies.
The Handbook distills the most important research findings and expert advice on dealing with conspiracy theories. It also introduces the abbreviation CONSPIR which serves as a mnemonic to more easily remember these seven traits of conspiratorial thinking:
- Contradictory
- Overriding suspicion
- Nefarious intent
- Something must be wrong
- Persecuted Victim
- Immune to Evidence
- Re-interpreting Randomness
Translations
The Conspiracy Theory Handbook has been translated into the following languages which can all be downloaded from the 4C website:
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German |
Spanish Coming Soon |
Portuguese In progress |
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Bulgarian In progress |
Dutch In progress |
Serbian In progress |
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Note to other translators:
If you’d like to translate The Conspiracy Theory Handbook into another language or help with a translation currently in progress, please contact us by selecting “Enquiry about translations” from the contact form’s dropdown menu. We’ll then get in touch with additional information.
