Conspiracy Theories and Anxiety in Culture: Why is Threat-Related Misinformation an Evolved Product of Our Ability to Mobilize Sources in the Face of Un-represented Threat?

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Philosophy of the Social Sciences 54 (2):99-132 (2024)
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Abstract

This paper argues that the allure of conspiracy theories lies in their evolutionary origins, specifically in our capacity to communicate unrepresented threats. Drawing on threat-detection psychology and error management theory, it posits that these theories serve as adaptive responses to perceived threats and social coalition-building, rather than as flaws in reasoning.

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10.1177/00483931231210335

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Martin Palecek
Charles University, Prague

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Socially adaptive belief.Daniel Williams - 2020 - Mind and Language 36 (3):333-354.

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