Trust the Game: Gamification and the Rise of Online Conspiracy Theories

Abstract

This dissertation examines how the once-obscure QAnon conspiracy theory made the jump from the far-reaches of the internet to our mainstream political discourse. I contend that gamification, or the application of game-like elements to non-game phenomena, has increased the persuasive power of conspiracy theories such as QAnon and allowed for their mainstreaming into everyday political culture. In short, I want to understand how persuasive gamification makes information in today's politically charged digital media ecosystems. The three empirical chapters of this dissertation provide evidence for the argument. In chapter three, I present a survey-experiment, using the conspiracy theory that hip-hop star Tupac was not actually murdered, but that he rather faked his death to escape the pressures of stardom. Here I find statistically significant evidence that gamification increased the persuasiveness of conspiracy theories. In chapter four, I present a second similarly structured survey-experiment using the conspiracy theory that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. Here, I found mixed evidence on the ability of gamification to increase the persuasiveness of conspiracy theories, but I argue that further investigation is warranted. In chapter five, I provide some of the contextual color for the QAnon conspiracy theory to help better understand its key players and sketch how the game itself functions. The dissertation concludes with an examination of some of the consequences of believing in these kinds of conspiracy theories, including the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, and prospects for future political radicalization.