Never Trust Quotes About Conspiracy Theories?

A new analysis reveals that only certain methods to counteract conspiracy beliefs are effective. Researchers have found that this “conspiracy mentality” correlates with personality traits, including low levels of trust and an increased need for closure, along with feelings of guilt. Fact-checking is important, but it’s often not the right approach when someone passionately believes in conspiracies. Experts say questions are much more effective than assertions. Widespread belief in conspiracy theories is cause for concern, as research links support in such theories to boosting critical and analytical thinking. Conspiracy-prone people share three motivations: being open-minded, asking questions, and listening carefully.

Conspiration theories are unsubstantiated and often false or outlandish, so they can be grouped under the broader heading of “delusion-like beliefs”. Karen Douglas, PhD, discusses psychological research on how conspiracy theories start, why they persist, who is most likely to believe them, and whether excessive doubt from excessive belief can help inform how to bring a conspiracy theorist back to reality. People can be prone to believe in conspiracy theories due to a combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying strongly on their intuition.

A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy by powerful and sinister groups, often political. Worrying about how many people believe false ideas misses the real danger – that people are influenced by them whether they believe them or not.