The Conspiracy Theory Handbook

The document distinguishes between actual conspiracies and conspiracy theories, noting that the latter are often driven by feelings of powerlessness and amplified by social media. It introduces the 'CONSPIR' acronym to identify seven traits of conspiratorial thinking and provides a toolkit for communicators, including 'prebunking' and 'debunking' strategies. The text highlights that climate change denial often employs conspiratorial rhetoric as a political strategy to delay action.

• Conspiratorial thinking differs from conventional thinking in its approach to evidence; while conventional thinking uses healthy skepticism and internal consistency to uncover real conspiracies, conspiratorial thinking is marked by overriding suspicion, over-interpreting supporting evidence, and inconsistency.
• Several psychological and social factors drive the popularity of conspiracy theories, including a sense of vulnerability, the need to assign a 'big' cause to significant events, and the use of such narratives to challenge mainstream political interpretations. Social media accelerates this process due to a lack of traditional gate-keepers and the influence of bots.
• Climate change denial frequently utilizes conspiratorial thinking and tactical conspiracy theories as a political tool to undermine scientific consensus and delay climate action, rather than as a result of a careful evaluation of evidence.
• The 'CONSPIR' framework identifies seven traits of conspiratorial thinking: Contradictory beliefs, Overriding suspicion, Nefarious intent, the belief that 'Something must be wrong', Re-interpreting randomness, being Immune to evidence (self-sealing), and perceiving oneself as a Persecuted victim.
• Effective strategies for protecting the general public from conspiracy theories include 'prebunking' (inoculation), which warns people they may be misled and refutes arguments before they are encountered, and various debunking methods including fact-based, logic-based, and source-based approaches.
• Engaging directly with established conspiracy theorists requires a different approach than the general public, as standard debunking can backfire. Recommended strategies include using trusted messengers (such as 'exiters'), showing empathy, affirming the value of critical thinking, and avoiding ridicule.

APA

Lewandowsky, S., & Cook, J. (2020). The Conspiracy Theory Handbook. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ConspiracyTheoryHandbook.pdf

Chicago

Lewandowsky, Stephan, and John Cook. The Conspiracy Theory Handbook. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2020. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ConspiracyTheoryHandbook.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lewandowsky |first1=Stephan |last2=Cook |first2=John |title=The Conspiracy Theory Handbook |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=March 2020 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ConspiracyTheoryHandbook.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lewandowsky2020conspiracy, author = {Lewandowsky, Stephan and Cook, John}, title = {{The Conspiracy Theory Handbook}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ConspiracyTheoryHandbook.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }