Why Do Intelligent People Hold Conspiracy Theories To Be True?

A study by Karen Douglas, PhD, at the University of Kent, has found that people are prone to believing in conspiracy theories due to emotional and ideological factors. The reasons for believing in such theories can be grouped into three categories: the desire for understanding and certainty, the combination of personality traits and motivations, including relying strongly on intuition, feeling a sense of antagonism and superiority, and the psychology behind conspiracy theories.

Belief in irrational conspiracy theories is a mainstream phenomenon, not fringe, and many cognitive biases play a role in this belief. Research links support in such theories to intelligence, but research is beginning to show that how people think could be more inclusive than general cognitive ability. Critical thinking is a more inclusive construct than intelligence, going beyond what general cognitive ability can account for.

The 2024 election looms, and there is a lot of information to consider and consume, which may mean a lot more baseless theories threaten our safety and democracy. It turns out that specific emotions make people prone to such thinking. Research shows that smart people are more susceptible to fake news and conspiracy theories, but why? Millions of Americans believe in conspiracy theories, including plenty of people who might expect to be smart enough to know better.