Why do people believe and spread misinformation?

In this video, Dr Susan Oliver and Cindy the dog look at why people believe misinformation and conspiracy theories and what motivates grifters to spread them.

Buy me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SusanAndJulie

Videos about ivermectin misinformation vs The Science:

Can ivermectin cure cancer?
https://youtu.be/oJLiika8EBo

Ivermectin in Brazil – A tale of two studies (Part 1 - Itajai)
https://youtu.be/zXq6NAZ1mls

Ivermectin in Brazil – A tale of two studies (Part 2 – TOGETHER Trial)
https://youtu.be/fnBoQDo35VY

Fake ivermectin meta-analysis (ivmmeta) vs The Science
https://youtu.be/v_1mmnRm7EU

Science mistakes made by ivermectin fans (Part 1)
https://youtu.be/-zWK_-4mfXs

Science mistakes made by ivermectin fans (Part 2)
https://youtu.be/AjIsvafVQzs

Science mistakes made by ivermectin fans (Part 3)
https://youtu.be/j4sqEX_29Fc

@Debunk the Funk with Dr. Wilson

Reviewing “The Real Anthony Fauci”
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhjSYYRGNprZRgx3u4ps7QHWutw3wX49h

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:09 How conspiracy research is done
4:22 Psychological motivations
7:13 Cognitive processes
8:09 Low critical thinking ability
8:46 Depressive symptoms
9:56 Demographics of misinformation believers
11:00 Making money from misinformation

Links to data:

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721417718261

Connecting the dots: Illusory pattern perception predicts belief in conspiracies and the supernatural
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.2331

Connecting the dots: how personal need for structure produces false consumer pattern perceptions
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-014-9332-z

Note on the Drawing Power of Crowds of Different Size
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232493453_Note_on_the_Drawing_Power_of_Crowds_of_Different_Size

Why Education Predicts Decreased Belief in Conspiracy Theories
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acp.3301

Maybe a free thinker but not a critical one: High conspiracy belief is associated with low critical thinking ability
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.3790

Looking under the tinfoil hat: Clarifying the personological and psychopathological correlates of conspiracy beliefs
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jopy.12588

Too special to be duped: Need for uniqueness motivates conspiracy beliefs
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejsp.2265

Association of Major Depressive Symptoms With Endorsement of COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation Among US Adults
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788284

Substack generates at least $2.5 million in revenue from anti-vaccine newsletters per year
https://counterhate.com/blog/substack-generates-at-least-2-5-million-in-revenue-from-anti-vaccine-newsletters-per-year/

Online misinformation is linked to early COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and refusal
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10070-w

COVID-19 Vaccine Misperceptions in a Community Sample of Adults Aged 18–49 Years in Australia
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6883

Physician COVID-19 Vaccination Study (Final Report)
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2021-06/physician-vaccination-study-topline-report.pdf

Substack generates at least $2.5 million in revenue from anti-vaccine newsletters per year
https://counterhate.com/blog/substack-generates-at-least-2-5-million-in-revenue-from-anti-vaccine-newsletters-per-year/

Network of right-wing health care providers is making millions off hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, hacked data reveals
https://theintercept.com/2021/09/28/covid-telehealth-hydroxychloroquine-ivermectin-hacked/