DiscussMormonism.com

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10 ... 19.1669461

YouTube has been influential in propagating Flat Earth Ideology, but not everyone is equally susceptible to the effects of watching these videos. In an experiment with a participant pool restricted to regular YouTube users, we found that lower science intelligence and higher conspiracy mentality increase individuals’ susceptibility to flat Earth arguments on YouTube. In fact, these two dispositional variables interact: whereas people with lower conspiracy mentality do not find the arguments compelling at any level of science intelligence, among those with higher conspiracy mentality, perception of argument strength decreases as science intelligence increases. Moreover, perceptions of argument strength varied on the thrust of the clip’s argument (science-, conspiracy-, or religious-based), with the religious appeal being perceived as weaker and inspiring more counterarguing than the science clip. We discuss implications for both the knowledge deficit hypothesis and for the differential susceptibility to media effects model.

I wonder how many actually believe in the flat earth nonsense? It's got to be a really small amount. Also, I wonder if any of the participants in the study actually converted to the nonsense? It seems to me, though, that appeals to flat-earth theories are great if one wants to shut down discussion over issues where interpretation of facts is the subject. It's a great way to "other" someone.

Exiled wrote:I wonder how many actually believe in the flat earth nonsense? It's got to be a really small amount. ...

Do you mean "how many" in just the US or in whole of earth?