Mikey Biddlestone
Biographic Data
| ID | 2248762 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mikey Biddlestone |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mikey |
| FAMILY NAME | Biddlestone |
| SIGNATURE | BIDDLESTONE M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Kent |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1438-7392 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 14 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 35 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 14 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Conspiracy Theories and Online Dating
Conspiracy beliefs can harm interpersonal relationships, but their impact on future relationships remains underexplored. Across four preregistered experiments ( N = 1,603), we examined how sharing conspiracy theories in online dating profiles affects interpersonal impressions and intentions to start relationships, and whether these outcomes depend on perceivers’ political orientation. Experiments 1a and 1b revealed that profiles including right-w…
Why do people share (mis)information? Power motives in social media
We investigated whether individuals driven by power motives are more inclined to disseminate (mis)information within their online networks. Four studies (N = 1882) assessed or manipulated chronic and context-specific power motives, alongside other social hierarchical constructs such as actual power. Our findings revealed that both chronic and context-specific power motives were significantly associated with increased dissemination of posts and ne…
Reasons to believe
Fighting fire with fire
Prebunking can be used to pre‐emptively refute conspiracy narratives. We developed a new approach to prebunking – fighting fire with fire – which introduces a plausible ‘meta‐conspiracy’ suggesting that conspiracy theories are deliberately spread as part of a wider conspiracy. In two preregistered intervention studies, prebunking specific COVID‐19 vaccine (Study 1, N = 720) and climate change (Study 2, N = 1077) conspiracy theories (e.g. that cli…
Norm-enhanced prebunking for actively open-minded thinking indirectly improves misinformation discernment and reduces conspiracy beliefs
Conspiracy Theories About Local Political Issues
Conspiracy theories typically accuse national governments and other powerful groups of secret and malevolent actions. However, conspiracy theories also exist at the level of local politics. In two studies focusing on local community issues in the United Kingdom—the building of a pedestrian plaza in a small seaside town and the establishment of a low emission traffic zone in London—we examined the variables associated with conspiracy beliefs about…
Tune in to the prebunking network! Development and validation of six inoculation videos that prebunk manipulation tactics and logical fallacies in misinformation
Meta‐analyses have demonstrated how inoculation interventions increase the detection of misinformation, but their scalability has remained elusive. To address this, Study 1 (pre‐registered; N = 1,583) tested the efficacy of three short inoculation videos (prebunks) against three common manipulation tactics used in misinformation: (1) polarization, (2) conspiracy theories, and (3) fake experts. Results indicated that all three inoculation videos (…
Engaging with Conspiracy Believers
Conspiracy theories abound in social and political discourse, believed by millions of people around the world. In this article, we highlight when it is important to engage with people who believe in conspiracy theories and review recent literature highlighting how best to do so. We first summarise research on the potentially damaging consequences of conspiracy beliefs for individuals, including consequences related to psychopathology. We also foc…
Are conspiracy theory believers drawn to conspiratorial explanations, alternatives explanations, or both
The Social Science of QAnon
QAnon has emerged as the defining conspiracy group of our times, and its far-right conspiracies are extraordinary for their breadth and extremity. Bringing together scholars from psychology, sociology, communications, and political science, this cutting-edge volume uses social science theory to investigate aspects of QAnon. Following an introduction to the 'who, what, and why' of QAnon, Part I focuses on the psychological characteristics of QAnon…
Their own worst enemy? Collective narcissists are willing to conspire against their in-group
Collective narcissism - a belief in in-group greatness that is not appreciated by others - is associated with using one's group for personal benefits. Across one pilot and four studies, we demonstrated that collective narcissism predicts readiness to conspire against in-group members (rmeta-analysis = .24). In Study 1, conducted in Poland (N = 361), collective narcissism measured in the context of national identity predicted readiness to engage i…
Investigating the identification-prejudice link through the lens of national narcissism
Cultural orientation, power, belief in conspiracy theories, and intentions to reduce the spread of Covid‐19
The current study investigated cultural and psychological factors associated with intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Participants (n = 704) completed measures of individualism-collectivism, belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19, feelings of powerlessness, and intentions to engage in behaviours that reduce the spread of COVID-19. Results revealed that vertical individualism negatively predicted intentions to engage in social dista…
A social identity model of riot diffusion
Previous research has shown that riots spread across multiple locations, but has not explained underlying psychological processes. We examined rioting in three locations during the August 2011 disorders in England to test a social identity model of riot diffusion. We triangulated multiple sources to construct a narrative of events; and we analysed interviews with 68 participants to examine experiences. In line with the model, we found evidence fo…
Investigating the identification-prejudice link through the lens of national narcissism
Their own worst enemy? Collective narcissists are willing to conspire against their in-group
Collective narcissism - a belief in in-group greatness that is not appreciated by others - is associated with using one's group for personal benefits. Across one pilot and four studies, we demonstrated that collective narcissism predicts readiness to conspire against in-group members (rmeta-analysis = .24). In Study 1, conducted in Poland (N = 361), collective narcissism measured in the context of national identity predicted readiness to engage i…
A social identity model of riot diffusion
Previous research has shown that riots spread across multiple locations, but has not explained underlying psychological processes. We examined rioting in three locations during the August 2011 disorders in England to test a social identity model of riot diffusion. We triangulated multiple sources to construct a narrative of events; and we analysed interviews with 68 participants to examine experiences. In line with the model, we found evidence fo…
Tune in to the prebunking network! Development and validation of six inoculation videos that prebunk manipulation tactics and logical fallacies in misinformation
Meta‐analyses have demonstrated how inoculation interventions increase the detection of misinformation, but their scalability has remained elusive. To address this, Study 1 (pre‐registered; N = 1,583) tested the efficacy of three short inoculation videos (prebunks) against three common manipulation tactics used in misinformation: (1) polarization, (2) conspiracy theories, and (3) fake experts. Results indicated that all three inoculation videos (…
Cultural orientation, power, belief in conspiracy theories, and intentions to reduce the spread of Covid‐19
The current study investigated cultural and psychological factors associated with intentions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Participants (n = 704) completed measures of individualism-collectivism, belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19, feelings of powerlessness, and intentions to engage in behaviours that reduce the spread of COVID-19. Results revealed that vertical individualism negatively predicted intentions to engage in social dista…
A social identity model of riot diffusion
Previous research has shown that riots spread across multiple locations, but has not explained underlying psychological processes. We examined rioting in three locations during the August 2011 disorders in England to test a social identity model of riot diffusion. We triangulated multiple sources to construct a narrative of events; and we analysed interviews with 68 participants to examine experiences. In line with the model, we found evidence fo…
Investigating the identification-prejudice link through the lens of national narcissism
Their own worst enemy? Collective narcissists are willing to conspire against their in-group
Collective narcissism - a belief in in-group greatness that is not appreciated by others - is associated with using one's group for personal benefits. Across one pilot and four studies, we demonstrated that collective narcissism predicts readiness to conspire against in-group members (rmeta-analysis = .24). In Study 1, conducted in Poland (N = 361), collective narcissism measured in the context of national identity predicted readiness to engage i…
The Social Science of QAnon
QAnon has emerged as the defining conspiracy group of our times, and its far-right conspiracies are extraordinary for their breadth and extremity. Bringing together scholars from psychology, sociology, communications, and political science, this cutting-edge volume uses social science theory to investigate aspects of QAnon. Following an introduction to the 'who, what, and why' of QAnon, Part I focuses on the psychological characteristics of QAnon…
Engaging with Conspiracy Believers
Conspiracy theories abound in social and political discourse, believed by millions of people around the world. In this article, we highlight when it is important to engage with people who believe in conspiracy theories and review recent literature highlighting how best to do so. We first summarise research on the potentially damaging consequences of conspiracy beliefs for individuals, including consequences related to psychopathology. We also foc…
Are conspiracy theory believers drawn to conspiratorial explanations, alternatives explanations, or both
Why do people share (mis)information? Power motives in social media
We investigated whether individuals driven by power motives are more inclined to disseminate (mis)information within their online networks. Four studies (N = 1882) assessed or manipulated chronic and context-specific power motives, alongside other social hierarchical constructs such as actual power. Our findings revealed that both chronic and context-specific power motives were significantly associated with increased dissemination of posts and ne…
Reasons to believe
Fighting fire with fire
Prebunking can be used to pre‐emptively refute conspiracy narratives. We developed a new approach to prebunking – fighting fire with fire – which introduces a plausible ‘meta‐conspiracy’ suggesting that conspiracy theories are deliberately spread as part of a wider conspiracy. In two preregistered intervention studies, prebunking specific COVID‐19 vaccine (Study 1, N = 720) and climate change (Study 2, N = 1077) conspiracy theories (e.g. that cli…
Norm-enhanced prebunking for actively open-minded thinking indirectly improves misinformation discernment and reduces conspiracy beliefs
Conspiracy Theories About Local Political Issues
Conspiracy theories typically accuse national governments and other powerful groups of secret and malevolent actions. However, conspiracy theories also exist at the level of local politics. In two studies focusing on local community issues in the United Kingdom—the building of a pedestrian plaza in a small seaside town and the establishment of a low emission traffic zone in London—we examined the variables associated with conspiracy beliefs about…
Tune in to the prebunking network! Development and validation of six inoculation videos that prebunk manipulation tactics and logical fallacies in misinformation
Meta‐analyses have demonstrated how inoculation interventions increase the detection of misinformation, but their scalability has remained elusive. To address this, Study 1 (pre‐registered; N = 1,583) tested the efficacy of three short inoculation videos (prebunks) against three common manipulation tactics used in misinformation: (1) polarization, (2) conspiracy theories, and (3) fake experts. Results indicated that all three inoculation videos (…
Conspiracy Theories and Online Dating
Conspiracy beliefs can harm interpersonal relationships, but their impact on future relationships remains underexplored. Across four preregistered experiments ( N = 1,603), we examined how sharing conspiracy theories in online dating profiles affects interpersonal impressions and intentions to start relationships, and whether these outcomes depend on perceivers’ political orientation. Experiments 1a and 1b revealed that profiles including right-w…
Misinformation and Its Impacts (11 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Epistemology (4 works) · Political science (4 works) · Politics (4 works) · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment (4 works) · Social Psychology (4 works) · Computer Science (3 works) · Collective identity (2 works)