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The hidden impact of conspiracy theories: Perceived and actual impact of theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana

Douglas, Karen, Sutton, Robbie M. (2008) The hidden impact of conspiracy theories: Perceived and actual impact of theories surrounding the death of Princess Diana. Journal of Social Psychology, 148 (2). pp. 210-221. ISSN 0022-4545. (KAR id:18928)

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Abstract

The authors examined the perceived and actual impact of exposure to conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. One group of undergraduate students rated their agreement and their classmates' perceived agreement with several statements about Diana's death. A second group of students from the same undergraduate population read material containing popular conspiracy theories about Diana's death before rating their own and others' agreement with the same statements and perceived retrospective attitudes (i.e., what they thought their own and others' attitudes were before reading the material). Results revealed that whereas participants in the second group accurately estimated others' attitude changes, they underestimated the extent to which their own attitudes were influenced.

Item Type: Article
Additional information: Canterbury,uk September 2007 the annual meeting of the British Psychological Society (Social Psychology Section)
Uncontrolled keywords: attitude change or persuasion; conspiracy theories; self-other bias; third-person effect
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Karen Douglas
Date Deposited: 15 May 2009 07:57 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2021 12:29 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/18928 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)
Douglas, Karen: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0381-6924
Sutton, Robbie M.: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1542-1716
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