Dr Daniel Jolley
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drdanieljolley.bsky.social
Dr Daniel Jolley
@drdanieljolley.bsky.social
Social psychologist. Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham @notts-psych.bsky.social. Expert in the psychology of conspiracy theories. Associate Editor at BJSP and JASP.
Pinned
New paper out:

Across 6 studies with diverse methods (correlation, quasi-experimental and experimental), we find that economic hardship and anomie may fuel anti-immigrant sentiment, and conspiracy beliefs may be a key piece of the puzzle.

Full paper here onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
📢Calling #politicaltheory, #anthropology, #folkloristics, #sociology, #education, #securitystudies, #culturalstudies, #mediastudies, #socialpsychology researchers!

The #callforpapers for our conference engaging with #conspiracytheories and fostering #democracy is still open 📌
October 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
🚨 New paper out in the European Journal of Social Psychology!

Across one study using aggregated nation-level data and four preregistered experiments, we examined how freedom of speech within a society influences belief in conspiracy theories.
The Impact of Freedom of Speech on Conspiracy Beliefs
Conspiracy beliefs are often portrayed as a threat to democracies. However, less is known about the extent to which the state of democracy may affect conspiracy beliefs. Hence, we investigated the im...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
Missed Series 2 of Notts Psych Pod? 🎧

Catch up now, wherever you get your podcasts:
👉 creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...

Each series explores how psychology connects with real-world issues — from neurodiversity to community engagement — putting people at the centre of research.
October 16, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
Why are some people more prone to believe in conspiracy theories? Part of the answer may lie in metacognition, i.e., the ability to correctly estimate one's own knowledge about topics.
-> New paper with @kwinter.bsky.social, @kaisassenberg.bsky.social & Helen Fischer
🔗 doi.org/10.1080/2044...
“Knowing what I don’t know” – belief in conspiracy theories relates to lower metacognitive sensitivity: a signal detection theoretic approach
Beliefs in conspiracy theories are seemingly hard to dispute through facts. Researchers have partly attributed this resistance to certain information processing styles that are associated with cons...
doi.org
October 9, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
Notts Psych has its very own podcast - Notts Psych Pod.

We highlight our research that aims to make a difference in people’s lives and in society.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/... / www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/o... #NottsPsychPod
September 23, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
fantastic pod with @drdanieljolley.bsky.social about the psychology behind conspiracy theories. impressive coverage of a lot of topics including what, who, and the why of conspiracy theories as well as some tips on how to engage with ppl who believe them.
Just asking questions – How conspiracy theories took hold in Britain
<p>Conspiracy theories used to be confined to fringe internet discussions and the guy you’d avoid in the pub. Now, thanks to figures like Donald Trump, ...
castbox.fm
September 4, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
🚨New open access paper out in BJP special issue "Psychological Understanding of Misinformation and Disinformation in the Face of Environmental Crises"!

“Fighting fire with fire: Prebunking with the use of a plausible meta-conspiracy framing” 🧵👇 1/12
📖 doi.org/10.1111/bjop...
September 9, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
"The danger isn’t just the extreme cases — it’s the slow erosion of social trust"

some informed opinions on this featuring experts in the space including @ulliecker.bsky.social @drdanieljolley.bsky.social
Experts reveal how to change a conspiracy theorist’s mind
Did Dezi Freeman really kill two police officers or was he framed by the Government? This is one question being posed on a Facebook group for last weekend’s March for Australia anti-immigration rallie...
thewest.com.au
September 8, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
From pub chatter to prime time: conspiracy theories are everywhere. But where’s the line between healthy scepticism and believing the Royals are lizards?

Today, @alexvont.bsky.social & @drdanieljolley.bsky.social dig into why Britain fell for conspiracy thinking.

🎧 linktr.ee/bunker_pod
September 4, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
🎙️ Love Notts Psych Pod? Let’s make it official!

You can vote for us in the Listeners’ Choice at the #BritishPodcastAwards – and it only takes a minute!

Here’s how:
👉 Visit britishpodcastawards.com/vote
👉 Search Notts Psych Pod
👉 Hit VOTE and confirm via email

Deadline: 8th Sept 2025
August 15, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
If you assumed the answer might be Boomers, you’re not alone. The researchers behind the study said they figured that would be the case, too.

"[Our findings go] against the typical stereotype of the older uncle at the Christmas table exposing the latest conspiracy theories,” the co-author told me.
This Age Group Is Most Likely To Fall For Conspiracy Theories (It's Not Who You Think)
The researchers of a new study were 'quite surprised' that it was this group most likely to fall prey to conspiracy beliefs such as QAnon and the flat Earth theory.
www.huffpost.com
August 8, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I'm looking forward to giving a Keynote on our work studying the psychology of conspiracy theories at this event 👇

mmmworkshop.cs.ru.nl
August 11, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
💰 Economic hardship, anomie, and anti-immigrant attitudes

Six studies found that economic hardship can fuel anti-immigrant sentiment, partly via societal decline perceptions and conspiracy beliefs.

🔗 doi.org/10.1111/jasp...

#SciComm 🧪 #Psychology
The Interplay Between Economic Hardship, Anomie, and Conspiracy Beliefs in Shaping Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment
As hostility toward immigrants grows, it is essential to explore the psychological factors that contribute to anti-immigrant attitudes. Although the impact of economic hardship, societal anomie, and ...
doi.org
August 9, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
Worsening economic conditions fuel anti-immigrant conspiracy beliefs and support for violence
Worsening economic conditions fuel anti-immigrant conspiracy beliefs and support for violence
Belief in anti-immigrant conspiracies may be fueled by financial hardship and a sense of societal breakdown, according to new research. Across six studies, economic stress predicted support for discriminatory policies and even violent actions against non-European immigrants.
www.psypost.org
August 7, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
🎉 That’s a wrap on Series 2 of Notts Psych Pod!

Catch up wherever you get your podcasts: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/... #NottsPsychPod

Huge thanks to our brilliant editor @graceebaranowski, host Dr Daniel Jolley, & producer @neuro_rachel.

And a big shout-out to our amazing guests!
August 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
A powerful clip from today's episode 👇

Listen to #NottsPsychPod wherever you listen to your podcasts: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...
August 4, 2025 at 8:16 AM
A write-up on my recent work collaborating with a policy partner and launching #NottsPsychPod, showcasing how psychology research can inform policy and engage the public.

Love these projects!

www.nottingham.ac.uk/vision/visio...
August 1, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
How many psychology staff can you fit into a selfie? We gave it our best go 💙💚
July 31, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
When a foreign power floods your media with false health alerts designed to create panic, isn’t that as threatening as a military blockade?
Cognitive warfare: why wars without bombs or bullets are a legal blind spot
When a foreign power floods your media with false health alerts designed to create panic, isn’t that as threatening as a military blockade?
tcnv.link
July 19, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
Extremists, right-wing influencers and GOP lawmakers spent the days after the tragic Texas floods pushing conspiracies about "weather weapons."

On Sunday, a weather radar system was vandalized and one extremist group is taking credit

with @mollytaft.com

www.wired.com/story/texas-...
Conspiracy Theories About the Texas Floods Lead to Death Threats
Disinformation around a “weather weapon” and cloud seeding is being widely promoted by everyone from anti-government extremists to GOP influencers—and leading to real-world consequences.
www.wired.com
July 8, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
We’re back!

Notts Psych Pod is back for Series 2, where we explore what it means to work with communities.
Episodes will be available on Mondays, starting July 7, 2025.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/... #NottsPsychPod
June 30, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
New paper out:

Across 6 studies with diverse methods (correlation, quasi-experimental and experimental), we find that economic hardship and anomie may fuel anti-immigrant sentiment, and conspiracy beliefs may be a key piece of the puzzle.

Full paper here onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
June 19, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Reposted by Dr Daniel Jolley
A former Cambridge graduate student died of cancer because her mother peddled conspiracy theories and misinformation that led her to refuse life-saving medical treatment.

Misinformation can kill you, especially if it comes from the people you're supposed to trust.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Our sister died because of our mum's cancer conspiracy theories, say brothers
Paloma Shemirani’s brothers say she refused chemotherapy because of their mother’s beliefs.
www.bbc.co.uk
June 23, 2025 at 2:25 PM
June 23, 2025 at 9:39 AM