Factors That Support Conspiracy Theory Believing?

Conspiracy theories have a significant impact on life dimensions such as health, interpersonal relationships, and safety, even when they are unlikely to be true. These beliefs can lead individuals to become disengaged from social and scientific topics, sowing doubts about scientific principles and making them feel important. People can be prone to believe in conspiracy theories due to a combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying strongly on intuition, feeling antagonism, and superiority.

Conspiration beliefs result from a range of psychological, political, and social factors. A conspiracy theory is defined by four characteristics: a group acting in secret; to alter institutions, usurp power, hide truth, or gain utility; and at. Confirmation bias is the most pervasive cognitive bias and a powerful driver of belief in conspiracies.

Belief in conspiracy theories appears to be driven by motives that can be characterized as epistemic (understanding one’s environment) and existential (being safe). Conspiracy theories are part of mainstream public life, with the potential to undermine governments, promote racism, ignite extremism, and even pose a threat to public health and science information.

Understanding the individual-level characteristics associated with conspiracy theory beliefs is vital to addressing and combating these beliefs. Psychological research on how conspiracy theories start, why they persist, who is most likely to believe them, and whether they exist is essential for understanding the impact of conspiracy theories on individuals and society.