Conspiratorial Thinking

Institutional cynicism can refer to...

(Check all that apply)

• distrust of government

• distrust of big business

• distrust of celebrities

• distrust of your mom

Illusory pattern perception means...

• Seeing very subtle patterns in things

• Seeing patterns that are not there

• Not seeing patterns that are there

Motivated reasoning is

• reasoning to come up with the answer you prefer

• being motivated to reason thoughtfully

Which is an example of proportionality bias...

• The CIA or Mafia must have conspired to kill JFK because Oswald was too much of a dweeb to do it himself

• 4 quarts: 1 gallon

• The Earth is flat because it is so big

• 9/11 was an inside job because the government can't be trusted

Confirmation bias is the tendency to believe...

• things that are supported by a lot of evidence

• things that are biased

• things that support what you already believe

• things that your peers confirm for you

A bias is....

• the right way to look at things

• a tendency to believe or think something

• an unpleasant thought

• a mistaken belief

China caused this pandemic while they were working on a way to take over the world.

Which of the following apply to this conspiracy theory?

• Perpetrator from within

• Perpetrator from without

• Echo Chamber

• Illusory Patternicity

Crack was introduced by the CIA into the inner cities to control people living there.

(Check THREE)

• Perpetrator from above

• Proportionality bias

• Institutional cynicism

• Illusory pattern perception

Which is NOT a reason people believe in conspiracy theories?

• they help people cope with fears, anxieties, and pain.

• they give simple explanations for complicated things

• they give people a sense of belonging

• peers pressure them into it

The idea that powerful Democrats are running a pedophile ring in the basement of a Washington, DC pizza place is an example of...

• a compelling story

• a simplified explanation

• proportionality bias

• illusory patternicity