Problem
Van Prooijen and Douglas studied the social influence of the increased spread of false conspiracy theories through a population during times of crisis and social change. Which statement is the best summary of their findings? Conspiracy theories provide us with simple answers to complex issues, and provide us with a group of people not to be trusted that we can identify and blame. Belief in false conspiracy theories can help us to prepare for future conspiracies that might be real, so belief in false conspiracy theories still has a useful function in a society. During times of social upheaval, conspiracy theories serve as a welcome distraction - false conspiracy theories are an even better distraction, as they tend to be more entertaining and exciting. Conspiracy theories tend to be spread by people in positions of trust and expertise, and at times of uncertainty we look to experts for guidance. Sometimes those experts are incorrect, but we are still better off listening to them.