I have extensive experience as (1) media expert on misinformation, fake news and conspiracy theories, (2) a scientific expert on implicit bias and anti-prejudice interventions, (3) an expert witness on sources of error and unreliability in eyewitness memory, (4) a consultant for law enforcement and government agencies on a range of topics within the social and behavioral sciences, (5) a strategist for political communication and (6) a litigation consultant on psychological issues in the courtroom.
If you are in need of an expert or consultant in psychology, law, politics or public policy, please contact me at joseph.vitriol@gmail.com.
Select Media Interviews
USA Today (May 2022). Buffalo shooting reignites debate over critical race theory, US history education. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/05/18/buffalo-shooting-critical-race-theory-replacement-theory-experts/9795779002/?gnt-cfr=1
Newsweek (March 2022). Was Donald Trump America’s first atheist president? Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/was-donald-trump-americas-first-atheist-president-opinion-1685586
DeseretNews (January 2022). Anti=government conspiracies create another challenge to addressing drought in the West. Retrieved from https://www.deseret.com/2022/1/3/22841583/anti-government-conspiracies-create-another-challenge-to-drought-in-the-west-bundy-colorado-river
PsyPost (January 2022). New study indicates Republicans revised their moral beliefs to be more in alignment with Donald Trump. Retreived from https://www.psypost.org/2022/01/new-study-indicates-republicans-revised-their-moral-beliefs-to-be-more-in-alignment-with-donald-trump-62439
SBU News (August 2021). Political science pilot programs foster collaborative research. Retrieved from https://news.stonybrook.edu/university/political-science-pilot-program-fosters-collaborative-research
Medium (February 2021). My dentist voted for Trump—twice. I needed to find out why. Retrieved from https://medium.com/illumination-curated/my-dentist-voted-for-trump-twice-i-needed-to-find-out-why-f8440384503a
WFIU, Indiana Public Radio (February 2021). Combating Public Distrust and the Spread of Misinformation. Retrieved from https://indianapublicmedia.org/noonedition/combatting-public-distrust-and-the-spread-of-misinformation.phpNational Geographic (January 2021). Why people latch on to conspiracy theories, according to science. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2021/01/why-people-latch-on-to-conspiracy-theories-according-to-science/
USA Today (November 2020). Latino voters who fled dictatorships fear election was stolen from President Trump. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/17/latino-trump-voters-fear-stolen-election-amid-fraud-conspiracies/6257746002/
BBC News, Cut Through the Noise (July, 2020). Conspiracies and the coronavirus. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews/videos/208817433854628/
Global News Radio 640 Toronto (February 2020). Anti-vaxxer fears coronavirus vaccine. Retrieved from https://omny.fm/shows/640-toronto/anti-vaxxers-fear-coronavirus-vaccine
The Atlantic (November 2019). Trump needs conspiracy theories. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/11/trump-conspiracy-theories-ukraine/602728/
Time Magazine (August 2019). Conspiracy theories can have dangerous consequences. Here’s why experts say we can no longer ignore them. Retrieved from https://time.com/5541411/conspiracy-theories-domestic-terrorism/?fbclid=IwAR2pXTUypnvBY1FEQT5GohMWTDON-rnfroTUdxi5nQAoX2PEBWFaVVMZSj8
The Guardian (June 2019). The science of influencing people: six ways to win an argument. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jun/30/the-science-of-influencing-people-six-ways-to-win-an-argument.
The Hill (April, 2019). Conspiracy theorists keep their Ginsburg death claims alive. Retrieved from https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/437661-conspiracy-theorists-keep-their-ginsburg-death-claims-alive
National Public Radio (July, 2018). Radio Series/Talkshow. Northern, CA: KQED Public Radio. Retrieved from https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101866718/conspiracy-theories-thrive-despite-information-age.
Newsweek (June, 2018). Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? Maybe they aren’t very smart, science warns. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/2016-election-hillary-clinton-conspiracy-theory-973245
The Washington Post (May, 2018). Theorizing about the Trump administration has become our national pastime. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/05/15/theorizing-about-the-trump-administration-has-become-our-national-pastime/?utm_term=.e5a4871337a5
IFL Science (May, 2018). Political know-it-alls are more likely to believe conspiracy theories. Retrieved from http://www.iflscience.com/brain/political-knowitalls-are-more-likely-to-believe-conspiracy-theories/
Good Therapy. (May, 2018). Studies identify factors predicting belief in conspiracies. Good Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/studies-identify-factors-predicting-belief-in-conspiracies-0606181
The Christian Monitor (October, 2017). “Weinstein effect”? Exploring the link between power and predatory behavior. Retrieved from https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2017/1030/Weinstein-effect-Exploring-the-link-between-power-and-predatory-behavior
The Star Tribune (April, 2016). Accounts of Jamar Clark’s death show how imperfect memory can be. Star Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/in-minneapolis-jamar-clark-case-the-fragility-of-memory-can-lead-to-conflicting-eyewitness-accounts/374987521/