Mind Games
A mental shortcut or pattern of thinking that can lead to errors in judgement
Cognitive Bias
False or inaccurate information shared regardless of whether the person knows it is false.
Misinformation
The process through which someone increasingly adopts extreme beliefs or ideologies, potentially supporting violence to achieve them.
Radicalisation
This conspiracy theory claims that the Earth is not a sphere, and that governments and scientists are hiding the truth.
Flat Earth Theory
Which famous American rapper and producer has publicly promoted conspiracy theories about the Illuminati and its influence in the music industry?
Kanye West
What bias occurs when someone only looks for information that supports what they already believe?
Confirmation bias
False information deliberately created or shared to deceive people
Disinformation
An environment where someone mainly encounters opinions and information that reinforce their existing beliefs.
Echo chamber
This conspiracy theory claims that the 1969 Moon landing was staged in a film studio and that humans never actually landed on the Moon.
Apollo 11/ Fake Moon Landing theory
Which American singer became the subject of a bizarre conspiracy theory claiming she was secretly part of a government plot involving the 2016 US election?
Katy Perry
Someone says, "I knew that team would lose!" immediately after the game, even though they had predicted the opposite beforehand. What bias is this?
Hindsight bias
An image, video or audio recording manipulated or generated using AI to make someone appear to say or do something they didn't.
Deepfake
If a news headline or thumbnail says "Scientists Discover Shocking Secret That Governments Don't Want You to Know!", what technique is it likely using?
Clickbait
This conspiracy theory claims that governments or powerful organisations deliberately spread diseases or use vaccines to control or harm populations.
Anti-vaxx/ Anti-vaccination theory
Which former US president became the target of the "birther" conspiracy theory, which falsely claimed he was not born in the United States?
Barack Obama
This bias appears when people shun strangers from their group
In-group bias
What is another common term used to describe fabricated or misleading stories designed to look like real journalism?
Fake News
These accounts appear all over social media, often commenting unusual or unrelated comments to drive engagement.
Bot accounts
This conspiracy theory claims that a secret organisation of powerful and wealthy people controls world events behind the scenes.
Illuminati
Which famous philanthropist has been the target of conspiracy theories falsely claiming he wants to use vaccines to control the world's population?
Bill Gates
A person with very little knowledge about politics believes they understand political issues better than experts. What bias might this demonstrate, and why?
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
A set of instructions or rules that helps decide what content users see.
The algorithm
Companies that house hundred of phones to play music in order to boost a song/video's popularity.
Streaming farm
A group lead by hints and clues from a popular online blog who claims to know "the truth" about the world, and believes Trump is a saviour.
Q-Anon
Which British princess became the subject of widespread online conspiracy theories and speculation in 2024 after a digitally edited Mother's Day photograph was released?
Princess Kate (Catherine, Princess of Wales)