| Course Title: Misinformation, Conspiracy Theories and Superstitions: Oh My |
| Start Date: 09/09/2026 End Date: 12/22/2026 |
| Term: Fall Semester 2026 |
| Description: Climate-change deniers, vaccine skeptics, 9/11 as an inside job--why do people accept, believe and share certain perspectives? What psychological factors lead to the acceptance and spread of mis/disinformation and conspiracy theories? What are the psychological consequences of accepting false narratives? Can we change the flow of this information? This course offers an in-depth psychological perspective on (1) the techniques that are used to spread and support mis/disinformation and conspiracy theories, (2) an examination of the profiles of people who are likely to fall prey to such information, and (3) and an examination of if we can leverage psychology to change people's perspectives. |
| Distribution(s): NO - Meets No Distrib. Rqmt , FY - First-Year Seminar , WI - Writing-Intensive |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Katherine Binder | 413-538-2105 | kbinder@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 09/09/2026 - 12/22/2026 | Seminar | Tuesday and Thursday | 10:30AM - 11:45AM | TBA | TBA | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| None |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| FYSEM0001 | First-Year Seminar | This is a First-Year Seminar. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Closed | Capacity: 16 | Enrollment: 17 | Available: 0 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |