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. 2017 Dec;26(6):538-542.
doi: 10.1177/0963721417718261. Epub 2017 Dec 7.

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

Karen M Douglas  1 , Robbie M Sutton  1 , Aleksandra Cichocka  1
Affiliations

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

Karen M Douglas et al. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2017 Dec.

Abstract

What psychological factors drive the popularity of conspiracy theories, which explain important events as secret plots by powerful and malevolent groups? What are the psychological consequences of adopting these theories? We review the current research and find that it answers the first of these questions more thoroughly than the second. Belief in conspiracy theories appears to be driven by motives that can be characterized as epistemic (understanding one's environment), existential (being safe and in control of one's environment), and social (maintaining a positive image of the self and the social group). However, little research has investigated the consequences of conspiracy belief, and to date, this research does not indicate that conspiracy belief fulfills people's motivations. Instead, for many people, conspiracy belief may be more appealing than satisfying. Further research is needed to determine for whom, and under what conditions, conspiracy theories may satisfy key psychological motives.

Keywords: conspiracy belief; conspiracy theories; motives; needs.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared that there were no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship or the publication of this article.

References

Recommended Reading

    1. Bilewicz M., Cichocka A., Soral W. (Eds.). (2015). The psychology of conspiracy. New York, NY: Routledge. A comprehensive collection of empirical and review chapters by leading researchers on the psychology of conspiracy theories.
    1. Brotherton R. (2015). Suspicious minds: Why we believe conspiracy theories. London, England: Bloomsbury. A book on the psychology of conspiracy theories that was written by an academic psychologist for a general audience.
    1. Goertzel T. (1994). (See References). A classic in the conspiracy-theory literature.
    1. Sapountzis A., Condor S. (2013). (See References). A sympathetic perspective on conspiracy theories and their value in constructing alternative accounts of reality.
    1. Uscinski J. E., Parent J. M. (2014). (See References). A sustained and empirically informed analysis of conspiracy theories and politics.

References

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    1. Adams G., O’Brien L. T., Nelson J. C. (2006). Perceptions of racism in Hurricane Katrina: A liberation psychology analysis. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 6, 215–235.
    1. Bilewicz M., Winiewski M., Kofta M., Wójcik A. (2013). Harmful ideas: The structure and consequences of anti-Semitic beliefs in Poland. Political Psychology, 34, 821–839.
    1. Bost P. R., Prunier S. G. (2013). Rationality in conspiracy beliefs: The role of perceived motive. Psychological Reports, 113, 118–128. - PubMed
    1. Brotherton R., French C. C. (2014). Belief in conspiracy theories and susceptibility to the conjunction fallacy. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28, 238–248.

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