Professor Karen Douglas is a social psychologist with expertise in conspiracy theories, communication and internet behavior, in particular, ‘phubbing’. She is a Professor of Social Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kent.

Professor Douglas’ research into conspiracy theories asks the questions of why people believe them, who believes them, and how are they harmful. Her work has been covered by media outlets such as Time, The Guardian, the BBC, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Psychology Today and many others.

Professor Douglas is the co-editor of the popular textbook Social Psychology and an associate editor of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. She has published a plethora of influential articles and book chapters in leading academic journals and books respectively.

Professor Douglas has received many grants and various funding awards throughout her career, including recently from the Leverhulme Trust. She has delivered talks and lectures around the world.