in: Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour Volume 55, Issue 2

DOI: 10.1111/jtsb.70001

Abstract

Conspiracy theories have become a prominent topic for sociological research. But although emotions such as paranoia and panic are—sometimes dismissively—referred to in classical accounts of conspiracy theories and different emotions have been empirically linked to conspiracy beliefs, a comprehensive theoretical account of the emotional underpinnings of conspiracy theories is still lacking. In this contribution, I aim to fill this gap by proposing a theoretical model that focuses on the transformation and collectivisation of emotions, facilitated by conspiracy theories.

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