The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (Zelda Gilbert)

Dr. Gilbert will discuss how the tools of modern psychology can be used to explore the prevalence, motivations, and content of historical and contemporary conspiracy theories. This will include conspiracy theories concerning such things as Lincoln’s assassination, chemtrails, the destruction of the battleship Maine, election fraud, and space lasers from orbit. Concepts such as existential, epistemic and socio-psychological motivations will be defined and applied to various theories, providing the audience with the tools to do their own analyses. Finally, audience members will be invited to create and evaluate their own conspiracy theories.
Zelda Gilbert is a retired professor of psychology with over 40 years experience in higher education. She currently lectures on political psychology, conspiracy theories, and other topics, mostly for the continuing education Silver Frogs program at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She completed a doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky and studied political psychology at UCLA.
Views expressed in this talk are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.

[@librulcunspirisy]

Thanks

[@alcosmic]

"Conspiracy is natural primate behavior." -Robert Anton Wilson

[@bothewolf3466]

Every conspiracy she gives some credit to is at the determent of a commercial interest. Interesting...

[@JohnQPublic11]

I fail to see what was accomplished by this video since conspiracies do exist; the problem is separating real life earth shattering conspiracies from conspiracy theory buffoonery.

[@AndrewDoe777]

She didn't validate or refute any evidence. How is this lecture skeptical or an exercise of reason? Might as well have had a preacher up there telling people what's true and what's not.

[@Tyler.i.81]

Those glassess tells me shes a far left liberal who has a lofty opinion of herself.