Inside the ‘rabbit hole’
This relative stability is interesting, because one criticism of conspiracy theories is that they may not be “falsifiable”: what seems like evidence against a conspiracy theory can just be written off by believers as part of the cover up.
Yet people clearly do sometimes decide to reject conspiracy theories they previously believed.
Our findings bring into question the popular notion of the “rabbit hole” – that people rapidly develop beliefs in a succession of conspiracy theories, much as Alice tumbles down into Wonderland in Lewis Carroll’s famous story.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
While it’s possible this does happen for a small number of people, our results suggest it isn’t a typical experience.
For most, the journey into conspiracy theory belief might involve a more gradual slope – a bit like a real rabbit burrow, from which one can also emerge.
Matt Williams, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Massey University; John Kerr, Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago; Mathew Marques, Senior Lecturer in Social Psychology, La Trobe University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Also Read | The problems with dating apps and how they could be fixed – two relationship experts discuss