Psych Unseen

Brain, Behavior and Belief

Joe Pierre M.D.

What Kind of Person Believes in QAnon?

And how should we talk to those who do?

Can the Online Proliferation of QAnon Be Stopped?

Should social media providers be held accountable for conspiracy theories?

4 Keys to Help Someone Climb Out of the QAnon Rabbit Hole

What can you do when someone you love becomes obsessed with QAnon?

How Far Down the QAnon Rabbit Hole Did Your Loved One Fall?

Believers in conspiracy theories exist on a spectrum from "fence-sitters" to "true believers"—helping someone break free may depend on how far they've gone down the rabbit hole.

The Top 5 Questions Everyone Asks a Psychiatrist

And some answers so you don't need to ask.

The Psychological Needs That QAnon Feeds

Part 1: What to do when someone you love becomes obsessed with QAnon.

Stress During COVID-19: Is There a Pill for That?

Part 2: Are antidepressants the answer to keeping it together during COVID-19?

Is It Normal to Feel Anxious and Depressed During COVID-19?

Part 1: Sorting out “stress” vs. “depression” under difficult life circumstances.

How Does Fear Influence Risk Assessment and Decision-Making?

Overestimating threats and the effectiveness of interventions.

Does America Have a Problem With 'Bullshit Receptivity'?

Part 2: How to increase our ability to detect bullshit.

The Psychology of Bullshit

Part 1: Psychology research unpacks this increasingly pervasive phenomenon.

The Psychology of Rioting: The Language of the Unheard

Denouncing symptoms of disease without treating the root cause is bad medicine.

Anti-Vaccine and COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories: A Perfect Storm

Converging anti-vaccine and COVID-19 misinformation is contagious, deliberate, and deadly.

Why Do Conspiracy Theories Flourish During a Crisis?

2020 is turning out to be the year of the conspiracy theory.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Conspiracy Theories

Belief in conspiracy theories is normal, but potentially dangerous.

Make America Open Again: Grassroots Protest or Astroturfing?

What's really behind calls to open up the country and end the lockdown?

The Deadly Effects of COVID-19 Misinformation

Disbelief doesn't protect against infection.

COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories: Was SARS-CoV-2 Made in a Lab?

And if not, why do people keep believing that it is?

From Angst to Ennui: Adjusting to Life During COVID-19

Coping with death, social isolation, and limbo while the world is closed is fraught with uncertainty and anxiety.

Disregarding Science: The Politics of COVID-19 Beliefs

When political beliefs contradict science, the results can be deadly.

Why Aren't Some People Taking COVID-19 More Seriously?

Fear-based risk assessments, misinformation, and conspiracy theories.

Illusory Truth, Lies, and Political Propaganda: Part 2

How the illusory truth effect is exploited in political propaganda. From Russia’s “firehose of falsehood” to Trump’s “alternative facts.”

Illusory Truth, Lies, and Political Propaganda: Part 1

Repeat a lie often enough and people will come to believe it. Here's how the "illusory truth effect" is exploited in political propaganda.

Understanding the Psychology of Conspiracy Theories: Part 2

When do conspiracy theory beliefs become dangerous?

Understanding the Psychology of Conspiracy Theories: Part 1

What kind of personality type believes in conspiracy theories?

The QAnon Conspiracy Theory: Mistrust and Mass Appeal

When mistrust of government transforms into paranoia about the "Deep State."

Can Polarized American Politics Find the Middle Way?

How would a marital counselor approach the Divided States of America?

Vaccine Hesitancy: From Misinformation to Conspiracy Theory

The anti-vaxx movement is a product of mistrust and misinformation.

Delusions, Conspiracy Theories, and the Internet

When "epistemic mistrust" leads you down the misinformation rabbit hole.

Why Do False Flag Conspiracy Theories Follow Mass Shootings?

In the wake of mass shootings, "false flag" denialism and gaslighting are driven by fears of gun reform.

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