Why Are Conspiracy Theories So Prevalent?

Conspiracy theories have been a constant occurrence for at least the past 100 years, according to psychologist Prof. Joe Uscinski. People can be prone to believing in conspiracy theories due to a combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying on intuition, feeling antagonism, and superiority. A 2017 analysis of government survey data by the University of Oxford found that more than a quarter of the American population believes there are conspiracies “behind many things in the world”.

There are several reasons why people believe in conspiracy theories, including the desire for understanding and certainty. A 2017 survey showed that about 42 of people without a high school education believe in at least one conspiracy theory, compared to 23 of people with a high school education. Conspiracy theories have become increasingly commonplace, and to address this, it is essential to understand that people will believe almost anything to relieve anxiety in the face of uncertainty.

Psychological research on conspiracy theories starts, why they persist, who is most likely to believe them, and whether they are baseless or based on specific emotions. Recent events like the election of Donald Trump, the U.S. Capitol riot, and several conspiracy theory-inspired mass shootings have prompted people to question who to trust when it comes to health and science information.

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. It is easy to dismiss conspiracy theories as unhinged beliefs held by a small number of paranoid idiots, but that underestimates their dangers. The approach to patients with conspiracy beliefs should be similar to dealing with psychotic disorders.