Posted on: September 10, 2021 Posted by: Glacier Staff Comments: 0

By Connor Dore, JRN 111 Student

Have you ever wondered how so many people believe in conspiracy theories? How even the most intelligent people can be roped into groupthink on a topic with no tangible evidence? 

Laura Lauzen-Collins

In a virtual event Thursday entitled “Getting sucked down the rabbit hole: Tribes, filter bubbles, identity fusion, and conspiracy theories,” Dr. Laura Lauzen-Collins will give some answers to these questions. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories appear to have been spreading almost as fast as the virus itself.

Lauzen-Collins, associate professor of psychology here at Moraine, will focus on the “predispositions and shortcuts that make us vulnerable to getting sucked down the rabbit hole,” according to the description of the event on the library’s website. “The answer lies our mind’s own predispositions and shortcuts to forming our identity and sense of reality and the social media landscape that takes advantage of them.”

Lauzen-Collins earned her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied health and social psychology. She has taught psychology at a number of universities including DePaul, St. Xavier, Lewis, and North Central College.  

The MVCC library and the Democracy Commitment program organized this event, which is open to the public as well as members of the Moraine community. The talk takes place from 1-2:15 p.m. via WebEx. It will also be available on the MVCC library YouTube channel after the live event. 

Registration is required on the library’s website.

Moraine Valley