Which Of The Following Claims Regarding Conspiracy Theories Is Untrue?

Conspiracy theories are a common phenomenon that have been around for at least the past 100 years, with most Americans believing in some form of conspiracy. These theories often involve supernatural forces, such as paranormal, alien, or demonic forces. A 2024 study identified six types of conspiracy theories: government malfeasance, the moon landing never happening, government insiders carrying out the attack on the World Trade Center, and various other theories.

However, many people don’t fully believe the conspiracy theories they seem to embrace, which is why conspiracists often stop short of saying a theory is true. Conspiracy theories can become politically problematic and even dangerous when politicians and other actors seek to exploit belief in unverified information.

Belief in conspiracy theories is normal but potentially dangerous. People may not want to label their beliefs as conspiracy theories to avoid the social stigma associated with that label. The motivated reasoning hypothesis suggests that conspiracy theorists may not believe contradictory conspiracies, such as the claim that Diana, Princess of Wales, did not die in a car.

Psychological research on conspiracy theories starts, why they persist, who is most likely to believe them, and whether they survive may be aided by psychological biases and distrust of official sources. Many people who respond to surveys saying they believe in conspiracy theories probably don’t think they are actually true.