New research from the University of western Australia shows a link between the rejection of climate science and a willingness to accept conspiracy theories.
The results of this research, which was conducted by professor Stephan Lewandowsky, who is a cognitive psychologist was partially based on the results of a controlled online questionnaire posted on blogs between August and October of 2010.
Here is a link to the full study.
Excerpts below are from Desmogblog.com, which earlier posted a short summary about the research and responses from some of the skeptic blogs that are out there.
In the paper, Lewandowsky concludes that "endorsement of a cluster of conspiracy theories... predicts rejection of climate science". The research also claims a correlation between people who endorse free-market economics and the "rejection of climate science," according to Desmogblog, which posted a short summary about the research and responses from some of the skeptic blogs that are out there.
There's a fair bit of previous literature to suggest that conspiratorial thinking is part of science denial. Conspiratorial thinking is where people would seek to explain events by appealing to invisible, powerful collusions amongst individuals, rather than taking events at face value. The absence of evidence for the conspiracy is sometimes taken as evidence of its existence and any contradictory evidence is itself embedded into the conspiracy, according to professor Lewandowsky in an interview with Graham Readfearn of Desmogblog.com
I'm beginning to understand. The invisible hand is also a form of invisible, powerful collusion amongst individuals and the lack of evidence that free markets improve the environment proves its existence.
Hat tip: BW