Conspiracy Theories

Question 1

Reasons people believe conspiracy theories

Answer 1

1. Uncertainty & perceived lack of control
2. An enemy to blame
3. A sense of being the hero
4. The chance to be an “expert”
5. Fear of falling for a hoax
6. Refractoriness to evidence
7. First to point the finger

Question 2

Uncertainty & perceived lack of control

Answer 2

• simple answers; retain a sense of predictability
• likely to believe unverified but confident claims

Question 3

An enemy to blame

Answer 3

a scapegoat and self-defense (often violence) against people falsely identified as enemies

Question 4

A sense of being the hero

Answer 4

• convinced the scapegoat is truly evil; good people commit violent acts

Question 5

A chance to be an expert

Answer 5

• conspiracy theories offer “hidden”, “important”, and immediate knowledge - believer becomes expert

Question 6

Fear of falling for a hoax

Answer 6

The irony lies in the fact that those most fearful of falling for a hoax do exactly that

Question 7

Refractoriness to evidence

Answer 7

• accurate facts to dispel conspiracy theories actually make them stronger because they come from someone who “must be in on it”

Question 8

First to point the finger

Answer 8

• they first accuse others of lying to acquire a degree of immunity from suspicion

Question 9

Personality traits associated with conspiracy belief

Answer 9

1. Distrust
2. Low agreeability (less likely to get along/sympathize)
3. Narcissism (excessive self-admiration)
4. Machiavellianism (cold & manipulative)
5. Desire for uniqueness
6. Openness to experience (imaginative & creative)

Question 10

Characteristics of possible conspiracies

Answer 10

• a small number of people “in the know”, variable effectiveness (info leaks/whistleblowers), local, transient in duration, greed is the motive, conspirators’ limited in ability