L21 - Psychology of Conspiracy Theories Flashcards
is belief in conspiracy theories abnormal or pathological? when are people most vulnerable to believing conspiracy theories? who is most vulnerable to believing conspiracy theories?
What is a conspiracy theory?
the belief that a number of actors join together in secret agreement, in order to achieve a hidden goal which is perceived to be unlawful or malevolent
Is believing in conspiracies abnormal?
belief in conspiracy theories is common
- they are irrational, but not abnormal or pathological
believability of conspiracy theories is fueled by the fact that some turn out to be true
- but most are false
In which ways may the belief in conspiracy theories be damaging?
important and damaging consequences for:
- health
- voting behaviour and politics
- support for societal problems
What roles do fear and uncertainty play in conspiracy theories?
when are people most vulnerable to believing conspiracy theories?
belief in conspiracy theories increases during times when society at large is experiencing more fear and uncertainty
- e.g., people that experienced more personal uncertainty and fear in reaction to Y2K were more likely to endorse belief in various conspiracy theories
societal fear/uncertainty –> attempt to gain certainty by trying to understand why events happened –> vigilance –> belief in conspiracy theories
Describe Van Prooijen et al.’s study on uncertainty and belief in conspiracy theories (2012).
are feelings of uncertainty AND perceptions of the morality of powerful actors jointly related to increased belief in conspiracy theories?
Method:
- experimental manipulation:
– Uncertainty condition: “Describe what emotions the thought of being uncertain arouses in you”
– Control: “Describe what emotions the thought of watching TV arouses in you”
- read bogus research report by a human right organization about the oil industry
– Moral condition: oil companies adhere very strictly to environmental policies
– Immoral condition: oil companies frequently violate environmental policies
- ratings of belief in conspiracy theory
– do you believe that oil companies helped cause the way in Iraq?
Results:
- in uncertainty condition, people were more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, but only if they thought oil comapnies are immoral
- no effect of morality in control condition
What is a belief mindset?
who is vulnerable to believing conspiracy theories?
Belief in supernatural is strongest predictor of belief in conspiracy theories
suggests that people that are vulnerable to conspiracy theories are more generally characterized by a belief mindset
- desire to make sense of the world through intuition
- tendency for analytic (vs. intuitive) thinking makes people less likely to believe conspiracy theories and supernatural beliefs
What are characteristics of a belief mindset?
-
Illusory pattern perception: seeing meaningful relationships between stimuli where none exists
– based on normal, adaptive human tendency to perceive patterns -
Illusory agency detection: seeing intentionality in the actions of others where none exists
– based on normal, adaptive human tendency to perceive intentionality and attribute responsibility
Describe Van Prooijen et al.’s study on illusory pattern perception and belief in conspiracy theories (2018).
are people who have a greater tendency for illusory pattern perception more susceptible to belief in conspiracy theories?
Method:
- experimental manipulation:
– seeing actual patterns (Vasarely): evaluate works of art by an “artist well-known for his regular design and alignment of figures”
– seeing illusory patterns (Pollock): evaluate works of art by an “artist well-known for his random brush strokes and irregular figures”
- “To what extent do you see a pattern in this painting?”
- evaluated belief in conspiracy theories and supernatural beliefs
Results:
- greater tendency to perceive patterns in Pollock paintings predicted belief in conpisracy theories (r = 0.36) and supernatural beliefs (r = 0.32)
- but tendency to perceive patterns in Vasarely paintings was not related to beliefs in conspiracy theories
– these paintings are structured and do actually contain lots of patterns
- people assigned to evaluate Pollock paintings (vs. Vasarely) reported greater belief in conspiracy theories
– suggests that Pollock paintings functioned as an illusory pattern perception prime
- overall, findings suggest that illusory pattern perception, not general pattern perception, is related to belief in conspiracy theories
How does agency detection and conspiracy theories relate to each other?
greater illusory detection of agency associated with greater belief in conspiracy theories (r = 0.22) and supernatural beliefs (r = 0.22)
How do intergroup conflict and conspiracy theories relate to each other?
characteristics of intergroup conlift related to conspiracy theories:
1. Feelings of out-group threat:
– conspiracy theories are only about threatening outgroups
– creates societal fear and uncertainty
2. In-group identification
– “Us vs. them” mentality
– increases suspiciousness of other groups
When feeling threatened by outgroup…
- strongly connected with ingroup identity –> greater desire to make sense of threatening event –> belief in conspiracy theories
Describe Mashuri & Zaduqisti’s study on intergroup conflict and conspiracy theories (2013).
method: study conducted in Indonesia
- rated belief in conspiracy theory
– “Did the terrorists who committed attacks in Indonesia conspire with Western people?”
- rated ingroup identification
– how much do they identify with Muslims
- rated outgroup threat:
– how threatening do they perceive the West to be to Muslims in general
Results:
- higher identification with Muslims predicted greater belief in conspiracy theory, but only if generally believed West to be threatening
What do intergroup conflict and conspiracy theories imply?
minority groups will be more susceptible to conspiracy theories
- e.g., Black Americans believe conspiracy theories more strongly than White Americans
people on political extremes will be more susceptible to conspiracy theories
- extreme political beleifs predict belief in conspiracy theories
what part of the situation and what part of a person results in the belief in conspiracy theories?
(putting it together slide)
Situation(fear and uncertainty, often due to outgroup threat) + Person(belief mindset: illusory pattern perception + agency detection; ingroup identification) = belief in conspiracy theories
