10 Roots of Conspiracy Thinking
10 Roots of Conspiracy Thinking
What is the psychosocial phenomenon of "Conspiracy Thinking" and how do people who ascribe to them become "Conspiracy Thinkers"?
Conspiracy theories have been defined as “…explanatory beliefs about a group of actors that collude in secret to reach malevolent goals” (Political paranoia v. political realism: On distinguishing between bogus conspiracy theories and genuine conspiratorial politics). Conspiracy theories are a social psychological phenomenon involving fallacious reasoning, circular logic and complex emotions that typically result in defensive behavior patterns. So what conditions lead to the development of conspiracy theories and turn affected people into conspiracy theorists (also called “conspiracists”) – that is, active followers or creators of conspiracy theories?
“Conspiracy Thinking” is a kind of syndrome – a matrix of emotions, thoughts and behavior patterns emerging from the ever-changing content of conspiracy theories. Singularly, each of the 10 “roots” or characteristics below may not result in Conspiracy Thinking, but as a cluster they have an ability to bond together and grow into a toxic and dangerous organism in our society, sometimes even branching out as racism, political extremism and terrorism. This list of 10 roots of conspiracy thinking is not to be considered exhaustive but it forms a hypothetical profile that will benefit from future discussion, critical reflection and further academic research.
1. Anti-Education
Conspiracy Thinkers tend to be suspicious of formal (academic) education as well as those who have higher credentials in education. They distrust the educational content within academic institutions and along with anyone who is responsible for planning, administering and teaching. This may also include politicians who are responsible for funding decisions in public and higher education. Conspiracy Thinkers prefer to be autodidactic (self-taught) or to learn from what are actually spurious and even misleading sources, often found on the Internet. Some research has concluded that many Conspiracy Thinkers are educationally disadvantaged.
Read: Conspiracy Theories and the Paranoid Style(s) of Mass Opinion
2. Binary Thinking
Conspiracy Thinkers outwardly favor black-and-white thinking and morally binary thinking (“Manichean narratives”) – in other words, if someone does not believe what they believe, those people with different information must be entirely wrong. Conspiracy Thinkers do not accept any middle ground or tolerate any grey areas in their thinking, which makes it difficult for them to accept any other information or explanations other than the ones they already believe in without questions.
Read: Black and White Thinking
3. Change Aversion
Conspiracy Thinkers are averse to change and tend to distrust and question efforts toward social change, even if they are actually positive changes. Although they might consider themselves agents of change, in reality they are usually striving for a reversal of changes, a return to an ideal state in the past that they feel has been disrupted by subversive actors in society.
Read: Misinformation and Its Correction
4. Confirmation Bias
Conspiracy Thinkers “cherry pick” the information that they believe and share with other people and disregard any information or arguments to the contrary. Confirmation bias is when a person tends to believe any information that seems to support or justify their existing beliefs. If anyone presents any information or arguments contrary to their biases, it will make Conspiracy Thinkers even more distrustful of that person or source.
Read: Why Do Some People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?
5. Disempowerment
Conspiracy Thinkers often feel disempowered by forces outside their control, especially by institutions such as the courts, government, banks and higher education. This sense of power being stripped from them is one of the reasons they find ways to take back power in any way possible, such as by spreading conspiracy theories online, participating in groups with like-minded conspiracy thinkers and helping to fund causes that they feel will subvert those institutions and systems that are oppressing them.
Read: Empowerment as a Tool to Reduce Belief in Conspiracy Theories
6. Disenfranchisement
Conspiracy Thinkers feel disenfranchised, the belief that someone or something has taken away rights, privilege or benefits that are rightfully theirs by civil and/or criminal law. This belief overlaps with disempowerment as they believe this has taken power away from them, but disenfranchisement may even be a more powerful motivator for Conspiracy Thinkers because they believe that what was taken away from them is legally theirs and therefore this provides real-world proof of a conspiracy against them.
Read: Conspiracy theories: what the research says about why people believe them
7. Internet Grooming
Conspiracy Thinkers are groomed by conspiracy theories online and in turn also groom others online; Grooming can be defined as systematic actions that draw others into a situation where they are being manipulated and exploited . False, heavily biased, incomplete, fictional, poorly researched, manipulative, mendacious, spurious and other forms of intentionally false information are found on websites, social media, messaging apps, emails and the “dark web” in addition to print publications. The Internet has been a powerful and effective network for spreading conspiracy theory beliefs, recruiting new Conspiracy Thinkers and inflaming people to take action based on misinformation.
8. Irrational Fear
Conspiracy Thinkers are often typified by anger, but irrational anxiety and fear are often at the core of their biases and behavior. Feelings of disempowerment cause fear of people and institutions, aversion to social changes can create a sense of anxiety, and xenophobia (see #10 below). They blame their fear on powerful forces outside their control (see #5 - Disempowerment), which can lead to many reactive behaviors including isolation, antisocial actions, acting out anger, and even violence.
Read: Conspiracy theories are causing people to fear the harmless and ignore the harmful
9. Outsider Identification
Conspiracy Thinkers may associate with one another in online or face-to-face groups that allow them to feel like “insiders” with one another but as individuals and in groups they tend to self-define as outsiders — outside the systems and organizations that make them feel disempowered (see #5) and disenfranchised (see #6). They identify as “outsiders” in an oppressive society even though they are xenophobic (see #10) and may end up being oppressors of those who are, in fact, marginalized people.
Read: The Roots Of Conspiracy Theory
10. Xenophobia
Conspiracy Thinkers are xenophobic; they have a distrust of people who seem foreign to them, which is often manifested in a racist antipathy toward people from other countries and different racial origins. Their xenophobia, however, may also include other people in their own country, such as those who are LGBTQ+, ABIPOC+ or have different sociopolitical views..
Read: In the Wake of Xenophobia: The New Racism in Europe
/gvb