Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation (CAM-SIRG)

The Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation Special Interest Research Group is an interdisciplinary team that sits within the Applied Cognition and Individual Differences (ACID) research cluster. The group focuses on the impact of conspiracy theories and misinformation on areas such as education, mental health and communication interventions. We are an inclusive group and membership is open to anyone across the university with an interest in the area.

For further information, please contact Dr Claire Jones (Claire.Jones@wlv.ac.uk)

Our Members:

Dr Claire Jones (Group Coordinator), David Martin, Anthony Byrne, Dr Alexander Jack, Tanya Schrader, Dr Tom Mercer, Dr Lisa Orchard, Dr Laura Nicklin, Dr David Boyda.

Group interests:

• Harmful misinformation online
• Interventions to combat misinformation and conspiracy theory beliefs in the adolescent population
• Effectiveness of inoculation again misinformation
• Misinformation and memory
• The implications of conspiracy theory beliefs for mental health
• Social cognitive factors in conspiracy theory beliefs 

Current Projects:

• Latent profile analysis of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs
• Conspiracy theory beliefs and subclinical psychotic-like experiences
• Conspiracy Theory Beliefs in an Adolescent Population: An exploration of Critical Skills and Metacognitive Training as Intervention Tools for Educational Settings
• Pre-bunking in an Age of Misinformation: exploring the efficacy of inoculation theory messaging as an intervention against online misinformation in an adolescent population