Psychology of Conspiracy Theories and Skepticism

What did Sigmund Freud associate with projection?

Psychological tendency
Projection as a form of conspiracy (correct)
Projection as a positive trait
Projection as a way to understand the world

How do psychologists now view projection?

As a conspiracy theory
As a general psychological bias (correct)
As an outdated concept
As a negative tendency

What is the main purpose of projection according to the text?

To engage in conspiracies
To understand historical events
To predict other people's behavior (correct)
To fake the moon landing

In the video described, what is the key takeaway about human perception?

Humans perceive shapes as characters with motives (A) Signup and view all the answers

What did the experiment with the shapes on the screen primarily aim to study?

Motivations and beliefs in human understanding (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did researchers intentionally design the shape-moving video in the experiment?

To depict a chase scene with characters (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest about psychological engagement with simple stimuli?

It can easily trigger perception of motives and desires. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does projection bias relate to conspiracy theories?

It influences people's acceptance of conspiracy theories. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was the main contrast between Sigmund Freud's view of projection and the current psychological perspective?

Freud associated projection with illicit behavior, while psychologists see it as a general bias. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did the text describe Sigmund Freud's interpretation of projection?

As projecting socially undesirable tendencies onto others. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the underlying tendency that the authors argue is present in various forms of thinking such as seeing visual patterns, endorsing superstitions, and spotting illusory correlations?

The constant search for patterns and meanings (B) Signup and view all the answers

What behavior did individuals exhibit when they felt a lack of control, according to the text?

Spotting illusory correlations in stock market data (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why did conspiracy theorists find the presence of an open umbrella next to Kennedy during the assassination significant?

No one else along the motorcade route had an open umbrella (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was one peculiar behavior of the person holding the umbrella next to Kennedy during his assassination?

Twirling the umbrella conspicuously (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why did some people theorize that the umbrella man might have been involved in Kennedy's assassination?

He was holding an opened umbrella on a sunny day (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did the government eventually identify the umbrella man connected to Kennedy's assassination?

Through a friend's tip after placing an ad in newspapers (D) Signup and view all the answers

What event made it apparent that something was wrong just after Kennedy's motorcade emerged from behind a street sign?

$Kennedy$ clutching his throat in an unnatural way (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why did the government examine Louis Stephen Witt's umbrella after the assassination?

To check for a hidden gun inside the umbrella (C) Signup and view all the answers

What connection did Louis Stephen Witt draw between his black umbrella and the Kennedy family?

The umbrella had a historical link to the Kennedy family through Neville Chamberlain (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why did Louis Stephen Witt decide to carry and wave a black umbrella during President Kennedy's visit?

To intentionally provoke Kennedy as a form of heckling (A) Signup and view all the answers

What did John Updike imply by saying 'perilously empiricism verges on magic' when discussing the umbrella man?

Interpreting facts can lead to magical thinking (D) Signup and view all the answers

What did Louis Stephen Witt mean by saying he would have won a Guinness world record for 'being in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing'?

He acknowledged his inadvertent role in the assassination (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did the government react when Louis Stephen Witt's umbrella splayed itself inside out?

They dismissed the possibility of a gun being in the umbrella (B) Signup and view all the answers

What psychological biases do people rely on according to the text?

'Pattern-seeking' and 'intentionality' (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did Louis Stephen Witt describe himself in relation to being at the scene of Kennedy's assassination?

'A record-holder for unfortunate timing' (D) Signup and view all the answers

'Perilously empiricism verges on magic', according to John Updike, refers to:

'The potential for empirical evidence to lead to mystical interpretations' (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was Louis Stephen Witt's primary intention behind waving a black umbrella when President Kennedy passed by?

To provoke and heckle President Kennedy (C) Signup and view all the answers

What psychological bias was discussed in relation to the TWA 800 and US Airways Hudson River incidents?

Proportionality bias (A) Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Americans believed there was a conspiracy behind the Kennedy assassination shortly after it occurred?

Around 80-90% (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best explains why the Kennedy assassination provoked more conspiracy theories than the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan?

The Kennedy assassination was more shocking and momentous. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the information provided, which of the following events would be most likely to provoke conspiracy theories according to the proportionality bias?

A terrorist attack that resulted in numerous deaths and widespread destruction (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the general setup of the psychological experiments described in the text?

Participants read fake news stories about events with varying magnitudes of outcome. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the psychological experiments regarding the proportionality bias?

Participants were more receptive to conspiracy theories for large events and rejected them for small events. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best summarizes the proportionality bias discussed in the text?

People tend to seek larger explanations for larger events and smaller explanations for smaller events. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following events had the smallest outcome and provoked the least amount of conspiracy theories?

The US Airways Hudson River landing (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best represents the explanation given in the text for the lack of conspiracy theories surrounding the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan?

The outcome was not as severe as the Kennedy assassination, so a smaller explanation sufficed. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the information provided, which of the following statements is true regarding the proportionality bias?

It is a well-established psychological phenomenon supported by experimental evidence. (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, which of the following influenced the author's early interest in the psychology of conspiracy theories?

Books about scientific skepticism, such as James Randi's 'Flim-Flam' (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the thought experiment, what was the proposed reason for faking the moon landing?

To avoid being beaten by the Soviets in the space race (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the study mentioned, what was the average response from college students regarding their willingness to participate in various conspiracies?

Most students were unwilling to participate, with an average score of around 2 out of 7 (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the psychological bias mentioned in the passage?

The tendency to project one's own willingness to engage in conspiracies onto others (D) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the information provided, which of the following statements is true?

The study found a positive correlation between belief in conspiracies and willingness to participate in them (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following conspiracy theories was NOT mentioned as part of the study's hypothetical scenarios?

Orchestrating the 9/11 attacks (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, what was the purpose of the thought experiment involving faking the moon landing?

To understand the psychological factors that make people susceptible to conspiracy theories (D) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the information provided, which of the following statements is most likely true?

The author is interested in understanding the psychological factors that contribute to belief in conspiracy theories (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best summarizes the main point of the passage?

Conspiracy theories are often rooted in psychological biases and a willingness to engage in unethical behavior (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to the information provided, which of the following statements is NOT supported by the passage?

The passage suggests that most people would be willing to participate in a conspiracy given the right circumstances (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the study by Karen Douglas mentioned, what did participants rate the shapes on?

Their level of consciousness, motivation, and liveliness (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the ambiguous sentence study described, what did the number of sentences interpreted as intentional correlate with?

Participants' belief in conspiracy theories (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'intentionality bias' refer to in the context of the discussion?

The tendency to attribute ambiguous events to intentional causes rather than accidents (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the 'proportionality bias' described in the discussion?

The tendency to attribute small events to small causes and big events to big causes (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the discussion, how might the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 be interpreted through the lens of intentionality bias?

As an intentional act, such as a terrorist action or government conspiracy (A) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the information provided, which of the following statements is true about conspiracy theories?

They often attribute events to intentional causes rather than accidents (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an ambiguous sentence used in the study described?

She kicked the dog. (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to the discussion, what might influence the interpretation of the sentence 'He set the house on fire' as intentional or accidental?

The context or details provided with the sentence (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a potential explanation for the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 in the context of the discussion?

A natural disaster (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the information provided, which of the following statements is true about the relationship between the intentionality bias and the proportionality bias?

They work together to influence the interpretation of events and belief in conspiracy theories (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, the Kanizsa triangle illusion demonstrates our ability to:

Perceive shapes that are not physically present (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the noisy visual arrays mentioned in the passage?

They were used to study how our brains create meaning from ambiguous visual information (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, people are more likely to see illusory patterns when:

They feel a lack of control or experience uncertainty (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main point the passage is trying to convey about pattern recognition?

Pattern recognition is a fundamental ability that helps us make sense of the world (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the passage, which of the following statements about the Kanizsa triangle illusion is TRUE?

The white triangle appears to be a different shade of white than the background (A) Signup and view all the answers