Analysis of the Conspiracy Theory. In order to begin your conspiracy theory analysis project, please answer the following questions. The answers to questions 2-5 may be found in our readings for Week 6. Once you’ve submitted this brief survey, I will send you a Canvas message with details for the final project.
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According to Kelly M. Greenhill, why do people believe in conspiracy theories in the first place?
Conspiracy theories arise during extraordinary events such as plane crash, mass shooting,
terrorist attacks, and deaths of prominent people. People believe in conspiracy theories because
they form extra-factual information. In other words, the theories help people to
cope with fear and uncertainties by providing explanations that bring light to incomprehensible
events. Greenhill states that three things determine whether or not people believing in a
conspiracy. They include the worldview, how salient the issue is, and whether
or not people have heard the information before.
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According to the NPR report, “Fake News: How to Spot Misinformation,” what are some of the factors that contribute to the spread of misinformation?
The spread of misinformation is contributed by factors such as the power law of social
media, emotions, increased humour mongers, wicked intentions, lack of scepticism, the
spreader’s level of influence, and reading without paying extra attention.
- After viewing the Research Companion videos, describe the difference between information found on the “open web” and the information found through a physical or digital library.
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What is the most important concept or idea you’ve learned from these readings and videos?
The most important concept I have learned from the readings and videos is that
conspiracy theories provide explanations for incomprehensible events. People believe in
conspiracy depending on the worldview, how salient the issue is, and whether or not people have
heard the information before. APA format