Mikey Biddlestone
@mikeybiddlestone.bsky.social
Research Associate @COSPIRACY_FX @KentPsychology @UniKent. Studying Misinformation | Conspiracy Beliefs | Political Psychology (he/him).
🚨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...
“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
🚨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...
“Fighting fire with fire: Prebunking with the use of a plausible meta-conspiracy framing” 🧵👇 1/12
📖 doi.org/10.1111/bjop...
Finally, the moving the goalposts fallacy video improved detection of relevant manipulation, but did not change discernment, and INCREASED manipulativeness assessments of non-manipulative content. This video may have increased overall distrust 10/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Finally, the moving the goalposts fallacy video improved detection of relevant manipulation, but did not change discernment, and INCREASED manipulativeness assessments of non-manipulative content. This video may have increased overall distrust 10/17
The whataboutism video improved detection of relevant manipulation, but did not change discernment or perceptions of non-manipulative content 9/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The whataboutism video improved detection of relevant manipulation, but did not change discernment or perceptions of non-manipulative content 9/17
In Study 2, we developed three logic-based inoculation videos with studioyou.london and Lens Change. The straw man fallacy video improved detection of relevant manipulation and discernment 8/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In Study 2, we developed three logic-based inoculation videos with studioyou.london and Lens Change. The straw man fallacy video improved detection of relevant manipulation and discernment 8/17
Similarly, the fake experts video improved detection of manipulation without changing discernment or perceptions of non-manipulative content 5/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Similarly, the fake experts video improved detection of manipulation without changing discernment or perceptions of non-manipulative content 5/17
The conspiracy theories video improved detection of manipulation, but not discernment. However, this was not due to increased distrust overall, as perceptions of non-manipulative content were unchanged 4/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The conspiracy theories video improved detection of manipulation, but not discernment. However, this was not due to increased distrust overall, as perceptions of non-manipulative content were unchanged 4/17
In Study 1, we developed three technique-based inoculation videos with @LukeNewbold and Sean Sears at studioyou.london. We were especially impressed by what they did for the polarization video (and it improved discernment)! CW: Pineapple pizza lovers look away 3/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
In Study 1, we developed three technique-based inoculation videos with @LukeNewbold and Sean Sears at studioyou.london. We were especially impressed by what they did for the polarization video (and it improved discernment)! CW: Pineapple pizza lovers look away 3/17
- All 6 videos improved detection of relevant manipulation.
- 2 videos also improved relevant discernment.
- 5 videos left perceptions of non-manipulative content unchanged, with one potentially increasing distrust 2/17
- 2 videos also improved relevant discernment.
- 5 videos left perceptions of non-manipulative content unchanged, with one potentially increasing distrust 2/17
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
- All 6 videos improved detection of relevant manipulation.
- 2 videos also improved relevant discernment.
- 5 videos left perceptions of non-manipulative content unchanged, with one potentially increasing distrust 2/17
- 2 videos also improved relevant discernment.
- 5 videos left perceptions of non-manipulative content unchanged, with one potentially increasing distrust 2/17
🚨New paper🚨Tune in to the prebunking network! Development and validation of six inoculation videos that prebunk manipulation tactics and logical fallacies in misinformation 1/17
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
March 28, 2025 at 12:56 PM
🚨New paper🚨Tune in to the prebunking network! Development and validation of six inoculation videos that prebunk manipulation tactics and logical fallacies in misinformation 1/17
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Our meta-analysis "Reasons to believe: A systematic review and meta-analytic synthesis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs" is now published at Psychological Bulletin!
Please refer to this thread, ResearchGate, and PsyArXiv for details!
psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
Please refer to this thread, ResearchGate, and PsyArXiv for details!
psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
February 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Our meta-analysis "Reasons to believe: A systematic review and meta-analytic synthesis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs" is now published at Psychological Bulletin!
Please refer to this thread, ResearchGate, and PsyArXiv for details!
psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
Please refer to this thread, ResearchGate, and PsyArXiv for details!
psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...
Of note, we also calculated WEIRD scores for the nation of each sample. This did not moderate the strengths of meta-analytic effect sizes 11/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
Of note, we also calculated WEIRD scores for the nation of each sample. This did not moderate the strengths of meta-analytic effect sizes 11/16
Finally, effect sizes were generally weaker for student (vs. non-student) samples 10/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
Finally, effect sizes were generally weaker for student (vs. non-student) samples 10/16
For all psychological motives, effect sizes for conspiracy mentality were weaker than for measures of general conspiracy beliefs and conspiracy stereotypes 9/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
For all psychological motives, effect sizes for conspiracy mentality were weaker than for measures of general conspiracy beliefs and conspiracy stereotypes 9/16
Moderation analyses indicated that meta-analytic effect sizes for experimental studies were significantly weaker (and non-significant for social motives) than correlational studies 8/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
Moderation analyses indicated that meta-analytic effect sizes for experimental studies were significantly weaker (and non-significant for social motives) than correlational studies 8/16
The strongest motivational predictors were the external threats of dangerous worldview, anomie/anomia, and political alienation, and the weakest significant predictors were low self-esteem, avoidant attachment, low general intelligence, and deprivation 4/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
The strongest motivational predictors were the external threats of dangerous worldview, anomie/anomia, and political alienation, and the weakest significant predictors were low self-esteem, avoidant attachment, low general intelligence, and deprivation 4/16
The strongest motive subtype predictors of conspiracy beliefs were those relating to external threats and the individual self, while the weakest predictors were those relating to internal threats and the collective self 3/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
The strongest motive subtype predictors of conspiracy beliefs were those relating to external threats and the individual self, while the weakest predictors were those relating to internal threats and the collective self 3/16
In this six-year project with seven revisions(!), we systematically reviewed and meta-analysed a total of 279 correlational and experimental studies (N = 137,406) measuring the relationships between various epistemic, existential, and social motives and conspiracy beliefs 2/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
In this six-year project with seven revisions(!), we systematically reviewed and meta-analysed a total of 279 correlational and experimental studies (N = 137,406) measuring the relationships between various epistemic, existential, and social motives and conspiracy beliefs 2/16
🚨Our meta-analysis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs has been accepted at Psychological Bulletin!🚨“Reasons to believe: A systematic review and meta-analytic synthesis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs” osf.io/preprints/ps... 🧵👇 1/16
December 17, 2024 at 2:27 PM
🚨Our meta-analysis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs has been accepted at Psychological Bulletin!🚨“Reasons to believe: A systematic review and meta-analytic synthesis of the motives associated with conspiracy beliefs” osf.io/preprints/ps... 🧵👇 1/16
In Study 2, the AOT prebunk increased AOT, cognitive reflection, and truth discernment. It also indirectly improved conspiracy beliefs through AOT 6/9
November 10, 2024 at 12:28 PM
In Study 2, the AOT prebunk increased AOT, cognitive reflection, and truth discernment. It also indirectly improved conspiracy beliefs through AOT 6/9
In Study 1, we found that the AOT prebunk increased AOT, cognitive reflection, and sharing decisions, also reducing certain conspiracy beliefs. The AOT prebunk also indirectly improved truth discernment through AOT 5/9
November 10, 2024 at 12:28 PM
In Study 1, we found that the AOT prebunk increased AOT, cognitive reflection, and sharing decisions, also reducing certain conspiracy beliefs. The AOT prebunk also indirectly improved truth discernment through AOT 5/9
🚨Check out our new pre-print!🚨 “Norm-enhanced prebunking for actively open-minded thinking indirectly improves misinformation discernment and reduces conspiracy beliefs” 1/9
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
November 10, 2024 at 12:28 PM
🚨Check out our new pre-print!🚨 “Norm-enhanced prebunking for actively open-minded thinking indirectly improves misinformation discernment and reduces conspiracy beliefs” 1/9
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Check out our new paper with the DigiPatch team in Computers in Human Behavior “Why do People Share (Mis)Information? Power Motives in Social Media”. We investigate the role of power motives in sharing (mis)information on social media 1/9
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
October 10, 2024 at 9:15 AM
Check out our new paper with the DigiPatch team in Computers in Human Behavior “Why do People Share (Mis)Information? Power Motives in Social Media”. We investigate the role of power motives in sharing (mis)information on social media 1/9
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ch...