Increasingly, we are witnessing a seeming convergence between belief in conspiracy theories and ideological extremes. A series of recent far-right terrorist attacks occurred across the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Germany where the attackers expressed extreme conspiratorial worldviews. Further incidents, most notably the US Capitol attack, demonstrate that extreme belief in conspiracy theories (e.g., QAnon) may mobilise individuals towards extremist violence.
In this seminar, Dr Bettina Rottweiler will look out how such incidents point to a potential functional role of conspiracy theories within violent extremism and her subsequent research providing a systematic analysis of this relationship. Based on her newest research findings from the U.K., the seminar will examine the psychological mechanisms linking conspiracy beliefs and violent extremism and will seek to explain why certain people engage in conspiracy thinking and how this can lead to violent extremist intentions. Research shows that extremism and belief in conspiracy theories share underlying psychological mechanisms, which arise due to certain social, existential as well as epistemic needs. Belief in conspiracy theories may act as a coping mechanism, which aims to satisfy important social psychological motives when these needs are threatened and thereby may increase extremist intentions.
Additionally, Dr Rottweiler will look at the conditional effects of conspiracy theory belief within two large-scale nationally representative surveys (Germany, n = 1502; UK, n = 1500). This research examines whether the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and violent extremism depends upon individual characteristics such as varying levels of self-efficacy, self-control and legal cynicism. She will also whether explore whether this relationship is affected by group-level factors, such as group injustice (deprivation) and perceived group threats as well as social-environmental influences, such as exposure to extremist peers.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Bettina Rottweiler is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Security and Crime Science at University College London risk and protective factors for violent extremism with a specific focus on the effects of conspiracy beliefs and violent misogyny.
When: 12-1pm, 25th November 2021
Where: This event will be held on Zoom. To register, follow this link. Once you have registered, you will be sent the link and passcode to access the call.
Contact: [email protected]