The 2020 election ended with a lie, a false claim that the election was stolen. And since January 6, 2021, according to a recent NPR investigation, conspiracy theorists have taken that message on the roads. Four prominent purveyors of voting disinformation crossing the country have spoken at over 308 events in 45 states and the District of Columbia. The highest-profile person tracked is MyPillow CEO, Mike Lindell. The speakers meet small audiences at restaurants, car dealerships, community centers, and churches, and are effective at changing minds to their way of thinking. According to Chris Krebs, a former Department of Homeland security official who oversaw federal election security measures in 2021, they work to change minds at the lowest level possible.
Leaders who make allegations without credible evidence corrode our democratic way of life. Yet despite the January 6th committee investigations and efforts by Republican and Democratic election officials from every state, they prevail and their voices continue to rise. Their goal is to take back the country, never considering that it was stolen from the Indigenous people who lived here before them. Like the Crusaders, they want the country to be Christian and white.
Ignoring the facts, the big lie is promoted as a means of getting legislators to enact laws that make it harder for poor, minority, and marginalized people to vote. Carly Kopeks, an elections coordinator in Weld County, Colorado thinks that many people see it as a religious campaign and believe they are doing the Lord’s work.
Is it possible to fight misinformation and outright lies? Shouting certainly doesn’t work nor does an appeal to empathy. Rebutting disinformation makes people dig their heels in more deeply. So what can be done other than throw up your hands and walk away? One thing is for sure—you can’t negotiate with someone who won’t sit at the table.
Dr, James Giordano, Professor of Neurology and Biochemistry at Georgetown University Medical Center, says it is important to understand why conspiracy theories work. “As stress levels escalate, biological, psychological, and social fatigue sets in that makes the perceived stress and the stressor viewed as threatening. The more vulnerable people feel the more volatile they are likely to become.” Volatility is the prompt for aggressiveness and violence. In a volatile world, wild theories bring peace of mind by painting events as being either black or white. Unfortunately, most of life is bathed in shades of gray.
Conspiracies are successful in part because they encourage community and are a way to hang out with those who share beliefs. After joining the group it is difficult to leave. People become emotionally attached to their beliefs and form relationships they don’t want to sever.
According to Robert Kozinets, at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, social media is the cuprite that fosters stress by turning lies to the extreme. False news is emotionally arousing and more interesting than the truth. When it’s presented by influencers, the more extreme the information, the more the brain becomes engaged. It doesn’t matter if the stressor is legitimate. Perceived threat is all that is needed to instill a sense of dread. And, that sense, drives behavior.
When our minds are vulnerable and we feel uncertain, we look to others to confirm our worst fears and show a way forward. Social media accentuates the process by provided a validation feedback loop for those who are afraid, Fearful people are vulnerable to influencers who have special agendas, and are easily manipulated. These influencers are the ones fanning the political divide. They use the psychology of fear to change minds for their political gain.
So, how do you combat conspiracy theories and open minds to fact-based thinking? You start by dampening stress hormones in the brain and eliminating negative emotions. In other words, the person has to “chill out” and feel respected. Only by meeting people where they are can they be brought to more rational conclusions.
Analytic thinking has to be introduced in tiny steps that take patience. The process can be started by mentioning the facts without discussing the person’s misconceptions. Don’t dwell on the conspiracy for that will embed false ideas more deeply. Only with the person is relaxed and talking about unrelated issues can you chip away at the conspiracy with occasional comments that make the person think.
These comments, however, have to be in harmony with the person’s preexisting beliefs. For example; climate-change deniers are more likely to shift their view when told stories that have cause and effect conclusions. If the person holds on to a false belief, respond with,” That’s interesting. Do you mind sharing your data?” By showing the person respect, you’ll have more success than negating claims as though speaking to an idiot.
George Layoff of UC Berkeley framed the Truth-Sandwich Method. To debunk an inconsistency, he suggests repeating factual information twice. Let’s say someone you know believes they don’t need the COVID-19 vaccine because the survival rate is 99 % (it isn’t). A response might be, “The survival rate may be high, but the virus is still incredibly dangerous. In a country like ours with 328 million people, a 1% death rate would cost over 3 million people their lives. That’s why, even though the survival rate is high, the virus is still incredibly dangerous.” (See below for the actual rate.)
Another way to bring about change is to mimic Socrates who engaged in back-and-forth debate, pointing out inconsistencies on both sides along the way. People don’t feel attacked by this technique since they’re not being forced to change their beliefs. The debater’s goal isn’t to convince his opponent that he is wrong, but to introduce questions that will help the person come to a better conclusion. Though Socratic arguing takes time, it can bring about change in the long run.
I implore you not to give up when speaking to people who spout conspiracies. Practice patience and find a way to tune into their emotions. Only then that you can open their minds to analytic ways of thinking. Democracy depends on us engaging with one another, not throwing up hands and walking away in frustration.
