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[badboy78660]

http://www.psypost.org/2017/09/losers-likely-believe-conspiracy-theories-study-finds-49694

New research helps to explain why the belief in election fraud is common in the United States, even though research has failed to find convincing evidence that it is a problem.

The study, published in the scientific journal Political Research Quarterly, found evidence that conspiratorial thinking and motivated partisan reasoning both have a strong influence on the belief in election-related conspiracy theories.

“My coauthor, Joseph Parent, came to me with the idea of studying conspiracy theories,” said Joseph E. Uscinski of the University of Miami. “When we got into it, there had been little systematic analysis of why people believed conspiracy theories, and what the consequences of those beliefs were. I have remained interested in the topic because it is a fun one to study most importantly, but also because it is so relevant to our current politics.”

The researchers used a survey of 1,230 Americans, conducted before and after the 2012 presidential election, to examine why some people believed widespread fraud had swung the outcome.

Before the election, 62 percent of the participants said they believed that if their preferred candidate lost, voter fraud would be involved. But that percentage dropped down to 39 percent after the election. The drop was largely correlated with partisanship.

Because Obama won, Democrats were less likely to believe in fraud while Republicans became more likely to believe that dirty tricks were involved.

“Conspiracy theories are for losers,” Uscinski told PsyPost. “People who are on the outside, people who lost, people who lack control, tend to believe in conspiracy theories.”

“We see this play out in our national debates: when Bush was president, Democrats were the ones propagating the conspiracy theories. They put forward theories about 9/11, war for oil, Halliburton, Cheney, Blackwater, etc. When Obama came to office, those theories became socially and politically inert. The prominent conspiracy theories came from Republicans and were about Obama faking his birth certificate, killing the kids at Sandy Hook, Benghazi, etc.”

“Now that Trump is president, the popular conspiracy theories come from Democrats and focus on Trump and Russia,” Uscinski said. “Conspiracy theories follow the ebb and flow of power and losers tend to propagate them the most.”

But partisanship wasn’t the only driving force behind election-related conspiracy theories. The researchers also found that conspiratorial predispositions strongly predicted the belief that if one’s preferred candidate were to lose, fraud would be involved. People with conspiratorial predispositions agreed with statements such as “Much of our lives are being controlled by plots hatched in secret places.”

“The people who believe in conspiracy theories tend to do so because of an underlying disposition towards seeing events and circumstances as the product of conspiracies,” Uscinski explained to PsyPost. “This is why some people (and we all have a friend like this) believe in almost every conspiracy theory out there, and some people reject most conspiracy theories out of hand. It isn’t really evidence that drives people to believe in conspiracy theories, it’s their own biased interpretations of evidence.”

The study found no partisan differences when it came to conspiratorial predispositions, suggesting Democrats and Republicans have an equal number of conspiracists among their ranks.

The study, “The Effect of Conspiratorial Thinking and Motivated Reasoning on Belief in Election Fraud“, was also co-authored by Jack Edelson, Alexander Alduncin, Christopher Krewson, and James A. Sieja.

 

[SpaceWolf]

Like Obama didn't have something to do with that study.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

Next they're going to tell us water is wet.

Wake up sheeple!

 

[Byakuya769]

Only way to explain their losing.

I like the balance of accusing Obama with faking his birth certificate and faking Sandy Hook (or causing Sandy Hook) with theories on Trump colluding with the Russians.

 

[Pandy]

I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I'm a revisionist historian.

 

[Mesoian]

minorshock.gif

Of course man, people are always looking to blame their shortcomings off on some boogieman rather than accepting the fact that, 90% of the time, they fucked up somewhere and have no one to blame but themselves.

 

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

Soros commissioned this study no doubt

 

[DarkKyo]

Our president peddles conspiracy theories.. are you trying to tell me he is a loser?

 

[Linkstrikesback]

I mean, if you look at the kind of people who post conspiracy theories in places like facebook comments, that's not really shocking?

 

[KojiKnight]

That's not surprising in the least. Have to find something to blame for their situations.

 

[Slime]

Clearly the "conspiracy theorists" are winning since the losers had to come up with this shame of a study!!!!!!!!!!!! SHEEEPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! soros!

 

[Byakuya769]

Lol.. none of us read the OP.

 

[Master Of Illusion]

But I'm telling you, the fluoride in the water's a method of mind control man.

And you can't escape the chem-trails either. The New World Order is upon us!

 

[TripleBee]

Is it just me or this actually saying believing that there was Election Fraud, and Trump + Russian collusion is a conspiracy theory - in the same vein as Lizard People, and Fake Moon Landings.

:/ :/ :/ :/ wut

 

[LQX]

Whatever, there are aliens and spaceships at Area-51 and I don't give a shit what anyone says.

 

[Rentahamster]

I guess this explains my insufferable overconfidence. #winning

 

[Nafai1123]

This seems to be painting a "both sides" issue by comparing shit like the birther movement, Sandy Hook truthers, etc to the Trump/Russia stuff.

Last I checked, we never had a special prosecutor investigating Obama's fucking birth certificate.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Is it a conspiracy theory to say I believe that Russia absolutely employed some vectors in manipulating the election if I add the caveat that I believe they likely have done so in every election, just at various capacities? And to add further that I predict that the US also engages in similar types of acts. I just feel in this day and age superpowers (or former superpowers) default to manipulating the denizens of other regions to their benefit.

 

[chekhonte]

Is it just me or this actually saying believing that there was Election Fraud, and Trump + Russian collusion is a conspiracy theory - in the same vein as Lizard People, and Fake Moon Landings.

:/ :/ :/ :/ wut

If there was collusion between the trump team and Russia than it is a conspiracy. But we are all eating up the the news surrounding it. We all want it to be true.

 

[HStallion]

Of course this is a Soros paid shill working for the Trilateral commission and the Build a Bear group.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

does that mean everyone that believes in the russian pee tape is a loser?

 

[cameron]

The study found no partisan differences when it came to conspiratorial predispositions, suggesting Democrats and Republicans have an equal number of conspiracists among their ranks.

Sure. This I can believe.

“We see this play out in our national debates: when Bush was president, Democrats were the ones propagating the conspiracy theories. They put forward theories about 9/11, war for oil, Halliburton, Cheney, Blackwater, etc. When Obama came to office, those theories became socially and politically inert. The prominent conspiracy theories came from Republicans and were about Obama faking his birth certificate, killing the kids at Sandy Hook, Benghazi, etc.”

“Now that Trump is president, the popular conspiracy theories come from Democrats and focus on Trump and Russia,” Uscinski said.

But the phrasing here is odd.

 

[Finky Spunky]

I believe it, more time to dwell, think etc.

 

[Stinkles]

Of course this is a Soros paid shill working for the Trilateral commission and the Build a Bear group.

I died.

 

[Stinkles]

“We see this play out in our national debates: when Bush was president, Democrats were the ones propagating the conspiracy theories. They put forward theories about 9/11, war for oil, Halliburton, Cheney, Blackwater, etc. When Obama came to office, those theories became socially and politically inert. The prominent conspiracy theories came from Republicans and were about Obama faking his birth certificate, killing the kids at Sandy Hook, Benghazi, etc.”

Um. Those aren't conspiracies. that's what happened.

 

[adj_noun]

Now that Trump is president, the popular conspiracy theories come from Democrats and focus on Trump and Russia,

I wonder why.

 

[God Dayumm]

Lol.. none of us read the OP.

shhh, lol

 

[Skellig Gra]

Lol.. none of us read the OP.

“Reading is for losers”

 

[TripleBee]

i looked at some of the other articles on this site.

I have a conspiracy theory that they may not be impartial.

"Neuroimaging study finds social conservatives have heightened brain reaction to a wide variety of stimuli"

"Study suggests lower levels of neuroticism explain why conservative states are happier"

"A psychological analysis of Donald Trump's speech patterns shows how he triumphed over GOP rivals"

lol

 

[Onaco]

But... hey! That's just a theory!

 

[Addi]

Yeah, the wording of that study is a bit weird. Read about another study recently that found that people who see themselves as unique are more likely to belive in conspiracies

 

[SgtCobra]

This is what the major banks, the Rotschild familiy, George W. Bush and the Queen of the United Kingdom want you to think!!

 

[norm9]

Follow the money trail on this "study."

 

[curls]

Yeah yeah whatever. We have had working electrogravitic craft since the 50's.

 

[MIMIC]

Well, believing the worst about the other side (especially when you lose) is par for the course.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Also this seems pretty obvious. Why would a person develop a conspiracy theory to why 'they' won? Nobody says "We won by cheating the system" It just seems natural that when the outcome wasn't the desired that you begin to look for reasons why, and sometimes those reasons are conspiracies.

 

[Slayven]

Lol.. none of us read the OP.

LOl i was like "that makes sense" then i got a paragraph in and was like "oh my"

 

[Skellig Gra]

Also this seems pretty obvious. Why would a person develop a conspiracy theory to why 'they' won? It just seems natural that when your outcome wasn't the desired that you begin to look for reasons why, and sometimes those reasons are conspiracies.

Its interesting that while republicans "won" they lost the popular vote so we get a double dose of losers for the next 4 years.

 

[Maddness]

If only they'd realize they're already winners by being the best losers they can be.

 

[JABEE]

Um. Those aren't conspiracies. that's what happened.

One man's conspiracy theory is another man's freedom fighter something something.

I think the United States has seen enough legitimate conspiracies to realize shit does happen. The USA went to war on a lie in Vietnam. Unfettered government surveillance has been proven true. Politicians have promoted foreign policy that improves their own and their donor group's bottom line.

 

[Poppy]

all cults prey upon the weak and fragile minded

oh wait this article sucks

 

[MrSaturn99]

"Now that Trump is president, the popular conspiracy theories come from Democrats and focus on Trump and Russia,” Uscinski said. “Conspiracy theories follow the ebb and flow of power and losers tend to propagate them the most.”

LOL WUT?

 

[Ogodei]

I really don't think that holds water right now. It's still the right that's huffing up all the conspiracy theories during the Trump Administration. The left's conspiracy theories mostly pan out.

I agree with the broad strokes that it attracts itself to outsiders, but here i would class "outsiders" as people whose primary sources of information come from sensationalist sources, which are often (but not always) outsider in nature.

Sometimes the outsiders are the ones spitting the real truth, like early hellraisers about Climate Change, but most often the mainstream is right (or at least working in a fact-based framework), and the outsiders are wrong.

Which is why conspiracy theories and hard-right conservatism go hand in hand. People who feed in that right-wing bubble are going to be the kind of people who are more susceptible to believing conspiracy theories.

 

[platocplx]

Its interesting that while republicans "won" they lost the popular vote so we get a double dose of losers for the next 4 years.

yep lmao and in a way it makes sense people who may have not achieved much or done much will go more into conspiracies than others who have gone through a lot and achieved.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

all cults prey upon the weak and fragile minded

Nuh uh. Mine only allows for the most enlightened and powerful minds.

 

[JABEE]

all cults prey upon the weak and fragile minded

oh wait this article sucks

They couldn't get to us, because we are too smart!

 

[Vincent Grayson]

Most of the people who push 9/11 conspiracies (in my experience) aren't big supporters of either party and tend to be fringe in their political beliefs.

 

[Szadek]

That can't be true, since I don't belive in conspiracy theories.

 

[DavidDesu]

Weird how they conflate absolute nonsense aimed at Democrats with a lot of stuff with a lot of merit aimed at Republicans.. what?!

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Most of the people who push 9/11 conspiracies (in my experience) aren't big supporters of either party and tend to be fringe in their political beliefs.

Odd enough the only ones I personally know who believe 9/11 conspiracies are staunch Republicans. However they don't believe 'Bush blew up the twin towers' but rather 'the Jews' or former/future democratic presidents had a hand in it.