What Is The Foundation Of Conspiracy Theories?

Conspiracy theories are explanatory beliefs about a group of actors that collude in secret to reach malevolent goals. They are abundant in social and political discourse, with serious consequences for individuals, groups, and societies. Psychological scientists have found that conspiracy theories lead people to display emotions and behaviors designed either to avoid the suspected conspiracy (e.g., fear and avoidance) or to believe in them. People believe in conspiracy theories for various reasons, such as explaining random events, feeling special or unique, or for a sense of social belonging.

Karen Douglas, PhD, of the University of Kent in the United Kingdom discusses psychological research on how conspiracy theories start, why they persist, and who is most likely to resist them. Scientific literacy provides people with two key resources for resisting conspiracy theories: scientific knowledge and non-partisan/ideological political (populism, Manicheanism).

Conspiration theories can be dangerous due to psychological biases and distrust of official sources. They can be dismissed as unhinged beliefs held by a small number of paranoid idiots, but this underestimates their impact. Many conspiracy theories relate to supposed clandestine government plans and elaborate murder plots. People can be prone to believing in conspiracy theories due to a combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying strongly on their intuition.

In the pre-pandemic era, the question was often asked, “How do I know whom to trust when it comes to health and science information?”