Karen Douglas, professor of social psychology at the University of Kent, and Michael Shermer, the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University–share their research, thoughts, and reactions on conspiracy theories and how they specifically relate to COVID-19.
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/fictional-villains-allure.html
As people binge watch TV shows and movies during this period of physical distancing, they may find themselves eerily drawn to fictional villains, from Voldemort and Vader to Maleficent and Moriarty. According to new research published in the journal Psychological Science, people may find fictional villains surprisingly likeable when they share similarities with the viewer or reader.
How can society and individuals cope with COVID-19? What can historical events teach us? What insights does psychological science bring to this international pandemic? For answers, APS conducted an interview with APS Fellow Roxane Cohen Silver, Professor of Psychological Science, Medicine, and Public Health at the University of California, Irvine.
APS convened a virtual roundtable to explore the psychological dimensions of COVID-19. Panelists included Bethany Teachman (UVa), Katie McLaughlin (Harvard), Valerie Reyna (Cornell), and Andreas Olsson (Karolinska Institutet).
