Spencer Pratt Addresses Previous 9/11 Conspiracy Theories - Us Weekly
usmagazine.com
A reality TV star running for mayor is forcing a reckoning with his conspiracy-theory past — a textbook case of how belief updating and identity politics collide in the public arena.
Belief PerseveranceMotivated ReasoningIdentity-Protective CognitionConspiracy Theory Psychology
Theory Briefing
- Spencer Pratt, once a vocal 9/11 conspiracy theorist, is now publicly distancing himself from those views as his L.A. mayoral bid gains traction.
- His reversal illustrates belief perseverance theory — people rarely abandon fringe beliefs until social or political incentives make the cost too high.
- The media spotlight on his past shows how conspiratorial thinking can become a political liability, forcing a rare public act of epistemic correction.