Dr Daniel Jolley

A powerful clip from today's episode 👇

Listen to #NottsPsychPod wherever you listen to your podcasts: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...

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...

How many psychology staff can you fit into a selfie? We gave it our best go 💙💚

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?

When a foreign power floods your media with false health alerts designed to create panic, isn’t that as threatening as a military blockade?

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.

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-...

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

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/...

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.

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...

The Series 2 teaser for #NottsPsychPod is coming soon!

#PreTeaser

@notts-psych.bsky.social @uniofnottingham.bsky.social
creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...

Israel-Iran conflict unleashes wave of AI disinformation Fake AI videos relating to the conflict have gained over 100 million views online, BBC Verify finds.

The Iran-Israel conflict marks the first time in a war where AI-generated videos and images have been widely shared by supporters of both sides as an effective tool to fight the information war.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories Why do conspiracy theories appeal to so many people? Learn about the deep psychological needs they often fulfill and why understanding them matters.

Why do conspiracy theories appeal to so many people? Learn about the deep psychological needs they often fulfill and why understanding them matters, writes Matthew Facciani for Psychology Today. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/misg...

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/...

New paper in PSPB! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Well, actually, not "new". We first put this paper online way back Dec 2022... in any case, we think it's really cool!

We find that conspiracy believers tend to be overconfident & really don't seem to realize that most disagree with them

That’s a wrap - Series 2 of Notts Psych Pod is recorded.

Our editor Grace will be working on the episodes in June. Watch this space!

Producer Rachel is the best!

Catch up here with Series 1 here: www.nottingham.ac.uk/psychology/o...

Climate scientists are trusted globally, just not as much as other scientists – here’s why New research shows climate scientists are less trusted than other types of scientists. But there are big differences between countries and specific groups of people.

great to see the work by @omidghasemi.bsky.social in the @aunz.theconversation.com

read about our research here:
theconversation.com/climate-scie...

Challenging Myths: How Social Contact Helps Dismantle LGBTQ+ Conspiracy Beliefs | Erik Karff Psychotherapy A recent study highlights how social interactions reduce LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. This blog explores key findings, the psychology behind conspiracies, & the humanizing power of connection.

Psychology tells us: exposure changes minds. When people personally know LGBTQ+ individuals, conspiracy beliefs decline. 💭🏳️‍🌈
Let's break barriers together. Read more: buff.ly/2vq9GNP

#LGBTQ #CognitiveBias #Misinformation #QueerVoices

Why People Believe in Conspiracy Theories: A Summary of the Science What hundreds of studies reveal about the motives behind conspiracy thinking

A meta-analysis of 279 studies found people are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories when they feel uncertain, powerless, or socially excluded. My latest post explores the psychology, and social dynamics, behind conspiracy beliefs.
matthewfacciani.substack.com/p/why-people...

🎙️ We’re back! Recording for Notts Psych Pod – Series 2 is underway 👀

Missed Series 1 on @notts-psych.bsky.social neurodiversity research? Catch up here: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/... #NottsPsychPod

Relationship Between Bullshit, Cognitive Skills, and Belief Systems: A Meta‐Analytic Review Bullshit—verbal statements with little or no concern for the truth—has sparked a growing interest in individual traits, with an increase in the number of studies aimed at understanding why people are....

🧠🗯️ Why do people fall for BS?

A new meta-analysis finds that belief in motivational quotes, conspiracy theories, and intuition is linked to higher bullshit receptivity – while stronger reasoning skills help guard against it.

🔗 doi.org/10.1002/acp....

#SciComm #Psychology 🧪

Anti-immigration conspiracy beliefs are associated with endorsement of conventional and violent actions opposing immigration and attitudes towards democracy across 21 countries - Communications Psycho... The link between conspiracy beliefs and reactionary movements that promote intolerance and undermine democracy was investigated in 21 countries. Economic prosperity and democratic functioning moderate...

With a great team, we show—using data from 21 countries—that economic prosperity attenuates the positive relationship between anti-migration conspiracy beliefs and commitment to reactionary action. Open access in Communications Psychology doi.org/10.1038/s442... #migration #SocialPsyc #conspiracy

The School is delighted to announce the promotion of Dr Sheppard, Dr Jolley, Dr Doherty, and Dr Wijeakumar to Associate Professor (with effect from August). Well done and very well deserved! 👏💐

From conspiracies to insurgence: understanding the path from conspiracy beliefs to political engagement through the 3N model of radicalization - Current Psychology This research explores the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and political engagement within the 3N model of radicalization, extending the Significance Quest Theory. We hypothesized that politic...

“From Conspiracies to Insurgence: Understanding the Path from Conspiracy Beliefs to Political Engagement through the 3N Model of Radicalization” in Current Psychology link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Quote reads: Psychology equips us with tools to understand and positively impact the world around us. Dr Daniel Jolley Social psychologist. Photo of Dr Daniel Jolley. Psychology Matters and BPS logos.

How can psychology make the world a better place?

@drdanieljolley.bsky.social on the impact of his research exploring why conspiracy theories are so captivating, their social consequences, and strategies to mitigate their negative impact.

#PsychologyMatters: www.bps.org.uk/blog/psychol...

Belief in a Norm‐Consistent Climate Policy Conspiracy Theory and Non‐Normative Collective Action Believing in conspiracy theories is connected to support for non-normative collective action. One explanation might be that this is due to both being non-normative. Alternatively, it might be the cas...

What fuels support for the Last Generation & other non-normative collective action? New paper w @lpummerer.bsky.social Lara Ditrich & @kwinter.bsky.social suggests beliefs in a climate-related conspiracy between politicians and industry

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Nominations for the 2025 career awards are now open! 😁

This year you can nominate a social psychologist for the EARLY- and MID-Career awards

For more information, open the awards tab on our website through the link below 👇

www.bps.org.uk/member-netwo...

New paper alert: In two studies, we found that poor sleep over the past month was linked with a stronger belief in conspiracy theories, especially after exposure to conspiratorial content.

Published in the Journal of Health Psychology.

Read: doi.org/10.1177/1359...

Poor sleep may fuel conspiracy beliefs, research suggests A new study from the University of Nottingham has revealed that poor sleep quality may increase susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs, with depression likely playing a key role in this relationship.

Poor sleep quality may increase susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs, with depression playing a key role. Addressing sleep issues could help mitigate these beliefs and improve critical thinking. doi.org/g875sz

The Appraisal Model of Conspiracy Theories (AMCT): Applying Appraisal Theories to Understand Emotional and Behavioral Reactions to Conspiracy Theories Beliefs in conspiracy theories are related to a diverse set of emotional and behavioral consequences. At the same time, a theoretical model detailing when a conspiracy theory is more likely to elic...

New theory paper-led by @lpummerer.bsky.social with Karen Douglas, @drdanieljolley.bsky.social & @tgkinopoulos.bsky.social The Appraisal Model of Conspiracy Theories (AMCT): Applying appraisal theories to understand emotional and behavioral reactions to CTs www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

🚨 New Issue Alert! Dive into the emotional whirlwind of #conspiracy #theories with our latest PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY issue on The Appraisal Model of Conspiracy Theories. Unpack how #emotions drive reactions to conspiracies. A must-read for anyone intrigued by the #psychology of #belief.

How poor sleep could fuel belief in conspiracy theories By prioritising good sleep we may be able to boost our ability to think critically and resist misinformation.

By prioritising good sleep we may be able to boost our ability to think critically and resist misinformation.