Impacts of conspiracy theories about an attempted assassination in Taiwan

What is it about?

This research suggests a rational choice view in understanding conspiracy theorizing, and tests its argument on the uses of online conspiratorial accounts about the attempted assassination of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian. The findings show that people propose conspiracy theories rationally in line with their political arguments and perceived threats.

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Why is it important?

This is one of the few analyses of the communication of conspiracy theories on the Internet. Moreover, despite their apparent, and escalating significance, there are not many studies on the ways conspiracy theories are used in political debates.

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