SUMMARY:
My internationally recongised research agenda tackles significant global issues that can harm the smooth running of societies.
Read a recent paper: Shining a spotlight on the dangerous consequences of conspiracy theories (see here for a video explainer)
Watch a public talk on the Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
I take a unique experimental approach to studying the social-psychological consequences of conspiracy theories and misinformation. Millions of people from across the globe believe in conspiracy theories that explain events as the result of secret, deliberate actions and cover-ups at the hands of powerful and malevolent groups.
My research to date demonstrates that conspiracy beliefs can be an important source of disengagement with politics and a lack of concern about the environment (BJP, 2014) and impact medical issues (PLOS ONE, 2014; Sexual Health, 2020). Conspiracy beliefs have been linked with being more willing to support violence (BJSP, 2020) and engage in non-normative unethical activities (BJSP, 2019; Social Psychology, 2023). I have also demonstrated that conspiracy theories may divert attention from the inherent limitations of social systems, which may reduce, rather than increase, the likelihood of social and political change (Political Psychology, 2018).
I have sought to test social-psychological techniques to attenuate the impact of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and found that the use of counterarguments could be a successful intervention tool (JASP, 2017) and how intergroup contact (EJSP, 2023) and social norms could also be a powerful tool to reduce conspiracy beliefs (GPIR, 2021; PLOSONE, 2021). To date, my high-quality publications have been cited over 3,600 times (h-index 16, Google Scholar), with the majority being ranked in the top 5% of research outputs tracked by Altimetric for online attention.
You can find details on my publications here or on OSF.
FUNDING:
I have secured research funding to continue this research and develop new avenues of study (>£90k). For example, I have recently completed a project funded by the BA/Leverhulme (£9.6k, PI) that aimed to develop and validate a conspiracy belief questionnaire suitable for adolescents. To date, research has focused only on adults, and no studies have examined conspiracy beliefs among younger people. Our novel questionnaire will enable an exploration of the psychological antecedents and consequences of conspiracy thinking in younger populations and explore the origins of conspiracy beliefs.
I have also received funds for public engagement (>10k in total) - for example, I have co-organized 5 events as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences series. In addition, as a winner of I’m a Scientist, I could commission artists to draw my research (see below and here).
You can find details on my funding here.
COLLABORATION:
Collaboration is paramount to my research. I work closely with academics in the UK and internationally. I am an active member of an interdisciplinary COST network -Comparative Analysis of Conspiracy Theories– that brings international scholars from various disciplines into direct contact, such as political science, sociology, and history.
In addition, I work with various stakeholders, such as the MET police and the UK Home Office, where I am currently advising on the role of conspiracy theories. I regularly speak to other stakeholders to advise on the psychology of conspiracy theories more broadly, such as to the Public Policy team on YouTube and Doctors without Borders.
KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE:
I have been invited to give talks to stakeholders (e.g., Police Commissioners Annual Conference) and the general public (e.g., Cheltenham Science Festival, Skeptics in the Pub, Psychology in the Pub events across the UK), and due to the timely and newsworthy nature of his research, he is regularly invited to speak to a variety of media outlets including TV, radio and print/digital media.
For example, I have appeared on the popular U.S TV show Adam Ruins Everything; and recently my research has been featured on BBC One Show, BBC News, Sky News, City News (Toronto), CGTN (Europe), in New York Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, Huffington Post and Discover Magazine. He has given multiple live radio interviews, including appearing on BBC Five Live, TalkRADIO, BBC Scotland, and more than 25 BBC UK Local stations.
I also maintain a strong network within academia by presenting at national and international conferences and have been invited to several other university departmental talks (e.g., Cardiff University, Keele University) and other events (e.g., UC Berkeley’s 2021 Othering & Belonging Conference, BPS Annual Conference, Research Spotlight).
I also actively try to use alternative outputs to communicate my research, such as contributing to a blog (conspriacypsychology.com, >362k views) and commissioning artists to draw my research (see below). Thanks to I’m a Scientist for supporting this. With colleagues, I also developed the Kitchen Conspiracy, an outreach exhibit to introduce conspiracy theories.
You can also watch a video using the artwork on YouTube (>2k views).
EXAMPLE VIDEOS:
You can download the infographic here.