![]() Even true errors in a standard explanation do not prove the truth of an alternative. ![]() But 9/11 conspiracy theorists believe that the debris field is entirely predictable, and anything that doesn’t fit their predictions is an anomaly that falsifies the standard explanation.Ī false dichotomy is created when this falsification of the standard explanation is used as proof that the conspiracy is correct. For example, what should the debris field look like after a large commercial jet crashes into a reinforced building like the Pentagon? It’s naïve to assume that we can know with any detail what precisely results from an event we have never observed. Learn more: The Trap of Grand Conspiracy Thinking Anomaly HuntingĪnomaly hunting seeks anything that defies an immediate or obvious explanation, and can, therefore, be used to claim that there are holes in the standard explanation without having to provide any evidence of a specific conspiracy.Īnomaly hunting is often combined with naïve assumptions about how things should happen. For example, unless every quirky little detail of the events of 9/11 can be explained to an arbitrary level of detail, conspiracy theorists can claim that there are still holes in the standard explanation and those holes are explained by the conspiracy. When challenged, no matter how much evidence is provided to counter to their interpretation of events, it is never enough, as the goalpost is simply moved farther away. They challenge others to prove them wrong rather than providing proof themselves. Shifting this burden onto others is a common logical fallacy employed to maintain a belief that lacks evidence. The burden of proof should fall upon the one who makes the claim. They are also immune to any burden of proof. The “Men in Black” movies provide another example of a vast cover-up, with the shadow organization erasing all evidence of the existence of aliens on Earth. Watch it now, on Wondrium.Īny evidence that is lacking for the conspiracy can be claimed to have been removed or covered up by the conspirators. This is a transcript from the video series Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills. ![]() assassination, including the gun that he used, the bullet recovered from John Connally’s stretcher, and the picture of Oswald with the gun before the assassination, could be seen to have been planted to frame Oswald. For example, any evidence that links Lee Harvey Oswald to the J.F.K. All evidence that could prove the conspiracy to be false becomes part of the conspiracy itself. This major cognitive flaw is what we call a closed belief system. This is the tendency to blame other people’s behavior on internal rather than situational factors.įor these reasons and others, the conspiracy theory becomes immune to refutation. They do not recognize that people may be innocently responding to the situation rather than deliberately orchestrating events in every detail.Ĭonspiracy theorists often commit what is called the fundamental attribution error. The conspiracy theorist tends to think that all actions and outcomes are deliberate and intended, nothing is a coincidence, and nothing happens by chance. This is the tendency to blame other people’s behavior on internal rather than situational factors. The bits of evidence that can be cast in a sinister light is elevated to support the conspiracy, while contradictions are ignored, bypassing the reality testing filter, therefore, everything can seem as if it’s part of a conspiracy.Ĭonspiracy theorists often commit what is called the fundamental attribution error. One is confirmation bias, the tendency to favor evidence that confirms what we believe and ignore or dismiss evidence that contradicts the illusion. There are various cognitive traps that conspiracy thinking falls into. Learn more: How Much Evidence Do We Need? Cognitive Traps Even visual pareidolia becomes more likely in research scenarios where subjects are made to feel more powerless. Pattern recognition is enhanced when people feel powerlessness, supporting the notion that conspiracy theories, in part, serve this emotional need. (Image: iQoncept/Shutterstock) Imposing Patterns on Random DataĮssentially, conspiracy theorists connect the dots and see an invisible hand operating behind the scenes. By Steven Novella, MD, Yale School of Medicine Why do we give in to conspiracy theories? Conspiracy thinking is like pareidolia: The tendency of our brain to impose patterns on random data, such as an image in an inkblot or a cloud.
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