Should we believe everything history tells us?

The final academic video chat in the OU’s Brainteaser Month (#BrainteaserMonth) campaign is about whether we should believe everything history tells us.

In the video below, Paul Lawrence, Professor of History and Dr Jovan Byford, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, discuss whether conspiracy theories can influence people’s understanding of the truth in relation to historical events.

January is Brainteaser Month and the OU used this opportunity to encourage followers to do some lateral thinking. Over the course of the month, the OU will post some brainteasers on Facebook, and OU academics will explain the theory behind them and encourage audiences to share their own.

About the academics

Paul Lawrence is Professor of History in the OU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Director of the International Centre for the History of Crime, Policing and Justice.

Read about Professor Lawrence’s research 

Dr Jovan Byford is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the OU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His main research interests lie in the interdisciplinary study of social and psychological aspects of shared beliefs and social remembering, especially in relation to conspiracy theories, antisemitism and Holocaust remembrance.

Read more about Dr Byford’s research