The Link Between Conspiracy Theories and Extremism
So what?
The COVID-19 pandemic, social media, and increasing acceptance of fringe beliefs from high-profile figures have contributed to a general mainstreaming of conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies. Left unchecked, these issues threaten to undermine the fundamental trust on which democracy is built.
Project Summary
This project examines the prevalence of conspiracy theories within the United States, their connection to violent extremism, and how they evolve over the course of a presidential election cycle. It will also explore the linguistic strategies used to normalize conspiracy theories on social media.
Purpose/Objectives
As conspiracy theories have become increasingly connected to major acts of violence in the U.S., there has been significant concern that some extremist ideologies have benefited from the widespread dissemination of conspiracy theories and beliefs. This project not only seeks to understand the overlap between extremism and conspiracy theories, but also to help identify potential methods for successfully countering and preventing the mobilization of violence based on conspiracy theories.
Method
This project will conduct surveys within the U.S. to understand the prevalence of conspiracy theories and domestic extremist ideologies. These surveys will begin a year ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and continue until a few months after the official announcement of a winner. The goal is to understand how conspiracy theories and domestic extremist ideologies change over the course of the electoral cycle. Researchers will examine whether specific linguistic strategies are used to make conspiratorial narratives more palatable.
Outputs and Impact
- Full research reports and briefs
- A handbook for case managers about the link between conspiracy beliefs and violent extremist intentions
- In-person workshops to help practitioners and case managers
Paul Gill, Ph.D.
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Bettina Rottweiler, Ph.D.
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Isabelle Van der Vegt, Ph.D.
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