The Psychology Behind Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories are fueled by the belief that powerful individuals with hidden motives secretly control world events. These theories are popular because they suggest that the widely accepted explanation is false.

Then why do people believe in them? It’s because conspiracy theories provide a sense of comfort since they offer simple and emotionally satisfying answers for complex and uncertain events. Conspiracy theories help in forming a stable, accurate, and internally consistent understanding of the world by simply ridding us of those uncertainties and fears.

Confirmation bias also plays a vital role. Once people begin to believe in a conspiracy theory, confirmation bias helps them build a wall around it and prevents it from getting dislodged. They look for sources, stories and patterns that back up their theories while ignoring anything that challenges their belief. Sometimes even when they are faced with sound logic and proof against their belief, they cling to that belief, interpreting it as evidence, further fueling their passion. Together the pattern recognition and confirmation bias create a loop that they cannot get out of.

Social media amplifies these tendencies, creating echo chambers by showing users content that aligns with their beliefs. In these spaces, these theories spread rapidly because users are continuously exposed to information that confirms their views. Misinformation goes viral and it becomes a breeding ground for such theories to propagate. Conspiracy theories also flourish in environments where people distrust authority and lose public confidence. Historical scandals also deepen their scepticism. This distrust fuels the belief in such theories that powerful people control events behind the scenes.

For believers, conspiracy theories provide a sense of control and special knowledge in a world that can often feel chaotic and unpredictable. This isn't just about facts, but about emotional and cognitive reassurance. Believing in an explanation, even if it’s a false one, can be more comforting than randomness, uncertainty and bewilderment when available information is conflicting.

Some people even enjoy the idea of being “special” by having secret knowledge that others don’t, boosting their ego and alleviating their position in their own eyes. This need to stand out leads them to take alternative paths.

New research also suggests that the anxiety, stress, existential crisis and the sense of disenfranchisement caused by events happening around the world make people turn towards conspirational theories. They help in identifying a convenient scapegoat and thereby make the world more straightforward and controllable.

When feelings of personal alienation or anxiety are coupled with a perception that the community is at risk, people experience a kind of conspiratorial double whammy. It also happens with Collective social setbacks especially if the ruling party is not of their choice, or if there is a slacking curiosity.

Because people believe in such theories, they have tangible harms including decreased vaccination rates and distrust in medical institutions since people participate in anti-vaccine movements, climate change denial and COVID-19 misinformation. Due to vaccine hesitancy, there has been a resurgence of diseases like measles which were largely controlled.

It also fuels political division because many times people also indulge in conspiracy theories when the ruling party is not of their choice. Such beliefs create conflicts and create alternative realities that drive people apart. Believing in conspiracy theories also isolates the individual from friends and family creating social friction. This friction can fuel hate crimes, discrimination or xenophobia since certain groups are targeted after crises or world events.

What can be done to prevent it?

By educating, media literacy and critical thinking, people can identify false information. By putting out questions like What is your evidence? What is your source for that evidence? What is the reasoning that links your evidence back to the claim? Evidences need to have a accurate, credible and relevant source.

Rather than dismissing conspiracy theories as irrational, they can participate in empathetic conversations with believers and help them reconsider their views without feeling attacked. When scientists refute a conspiracy theory by pointing out its logical inconsistencies, it becomes less enchanting to people. Finding ways to counter conspiracy theories without challenging a person’s identity may be helpful.

But can conspiracy theories be helpful?

Conspiracy theories can help encourage people to question information and critically analyse the world around them, especially into issues that might otherwise be overlooked and not to blindly accept official narratives. They help underscore the abuse of power and hidden uncomfortable truths about authority and powerful groups. This way it can be used to check the government, media and corporate responsibility. While conspiracy theories are usually believed to be redundant, lacking any credibility, they can often uncover genuine problems such as corruption, environmental damage or human rights abuses. By raising awareness, they can push for change. Through artistic freedom, we can achieve this transparency and power and provide valuable cultural commentary.

You have the freedom to believe in anything and everything. You can scoff at conspiracy theories or you can question how they start in the first place. Do these theories have any basis? Are the powerful people calling them a “conspiracy” take away their credibility? Is conspiracy just a word for going against the status quo and believing in something “they” don't want you to know about or is it really just a hoax?

Jazbia Junaid is a student of English Honours in Jamia Millia Islamia.

Edited by: Zakia Tasnim Ahmed