Franklin Fomby Professor Canino ENGL-U102: Composition II 23 September 2024 Rhetorical Analysis of Joshua Pease’s Article In today’s world, conspiracy theories spread as easily as verified information. Joshua Pease’s article, How You've Been Conditioned to Love Conspiracy Theories, published by Popular Mechanics, seeks to explore the psychological and societal reasons behind this phenomenon. Popular Mechanics is known for its focus on science and technology, appealing to readers with a strong understanding of mechanics and a skepticism rooted in fact. Despite some solid insights and expert references, Pease’s use of inaccurate data—specifically citing a poll that never existed—significantly undermines the article's credibility. For an audience …show more content…
Pease highlights how the brain favors simple explanations, especially under stress, and examines how some proven conspiracies fuel distrust in institutions. Despite humorous undertones, he argues that healthy skepticism can avoid harmful, unfounded beliefs. Pease builds some initial credibility by referencing established experts like Dr. Michael Shermer and Rob Brotherton, who both have substantial credentials in the field of psychology. Shermer, a fellow at Chapman University and author of The Believing Brain, provides a clear and authoritative definition of conspiracy theories, which anchors the article (Shermer). Brotherton’s work on proportionality bias adds further weight to Pease’s exploration of why people gravitate toward conspiracy theories (Brotherton). However, Pease makes a critical error when he cites a Public Policy Polling survey that claims a significant percentage of Americans believe in shape-shifting lizard aliens. A review of the polling organization’s records shows no evidence of such a survey. This error is not a minor oversight; it completely destroys Pease’s