The brainers
Sylvain Delouvee – Researcher in sociology
Lecturer at Rennes 2 University, his research focuses on the interaction between social and psychological factors that influence thinking, beliefs and social behavior when individuals or groups encounter situations that may be perceived as uncertain, risky or extreme. In more applied terms, he is interested in the processes of social and cognitive adaptation to environmental risks (e.g. climate change), health or biological risks (emerging infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, vaccine hesitancy), societal risks (terrorism and radicalization) and the uncertainties associated with these situations. Co-responsible for the “Violence, Risk and Vulnerability” Master’s program at Rennes 2 University, Sylvain Delouvée is also the author of numerous scientific articles and several books, including the recent “Le Complotisme. Cognition, Culture et Société” (éditions Madraga, co-written with Sebastian Dieguez).
This brainer takes part in round-table discussions, offers improvisation sessions and the following solo talks:
Why do we do stupid or irrational things?
The irrationality or (supposed) stupidity of our behavior and conduct will be illustrated through examples from everyday life and popular culture. The aim is to show how social psychology studies these everyday phenomena to better understand our strangest and most incongruous behaviors.
Understanding and managing rumors
Once spread by word of mouth, nowadays via social networks, rumors are born, amplified and spread in lightning-fast and sometimes devastating fashion. Sometimes amusing, they can also constitute a real danger, as we shall see from several recent examples. How do rumors emerge, develop and spread? Why do we buy into them? What impact can they have? How do we react when they present a risk? These are just some of the questions we'll be tackling when we look at a phenomenon as common as it is complex.
Conspiracy thinking
Are vaccines poisons invented by the pharmaceutical industry? Are airplanes spraying chemicals to put people to sleep? Were the latest attacks fomented by a group of government conspirators? We discover how such “conspiracy theories” emerge and spread. Going beyond the purely descriptive aspect of reviewing the various conspiracy theories, the aim here is much more to consider the processes at work in the development of this conspiracy thinking. We are all, at different levels, caught up in this conspiracy mentality, whose mechanisms are presented and illustrated through examples drawn from popular culture (cinema, television, literature).