Belief in conspiracy theories: Basic principles of an emerging research domain

Abstract

In this introduction to the EJSP Special Issue on conspiracy theories as a social psychological phenomenon, we describe how this emerging research domain has developed over the past decade and distill four basic principles that characterize belief in conspiracy theories. Specifically, conspiracy theories are consequential as they have a real impact on people's health, relationships, and safety; they are universal in that belief in them is widespread across times, cultures, and social settings; they are emotional given that negative emotions and not rational deliberations cause conspiracy beliefs; and they are social as conspiracy beliefs are closely associated with psychological motivations underlying intergroup conflict. We then discuss future research and possible policy interventions in this growing area of enquiry.

Misbehaving in the Corona Crisis: The Role of Anxiety and Unfounded Beliefs

“…individuals that believe in conspiracy and unscientific claims about C-19 behave less responsibly, supporting the idea of consequentiality of unfounded beliefs (Van Prooijen & Douglas, 2018).…”

“…The conspiracy theories can seem absurd, but they present a danger if many people start believing in them and acting accordingly. One of the characteristics of conspiracy beliefs is that they are consequential: they impact behavior in important domains of life such as health, interpersonal relationships or safety (Van Prooijen & Douglas, 2018). If a person believes that coronavirus is a hoax, (s)he is more likely to behave irresponsibly and spread the virus.…”

“…It seems that conspiracy beliefs are underpinned by a stable characteristic called conspiracy mentality (Imhoff & Bruder, 2014) that explains why same people hold conspiracy and other unfounded beliefs across various domains (Ståhl & Van Prooijen, 2018;Van Prooijen & Douglas, 2018). So, the traits that were shown to underpin other unfounded beliefs could also lead to C-19 conspiracy beliefs.…”

Unpacking the relationship between religiosity and conspiracy beliefs in Australia

“…On the one hand, there is indirect evidence that religiosity is positively correlated with the belief in conspiracy theories. Broader beliefs that support conspiracy theories in general are assumed to underpin the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories (van Prooijen & Douglas, 2018). Beliefs in God that have been connected with perceiving the world as a place where everything is planned and controlled (Laurin, Kay, & Moscovitch, 2008) might well serve this function.…”

“…In recent years, the psychology of beliefs in conspiracy theories has attracted the attention of both the media and scholars (Douglas, Sutton, & Cichocka, ; Mancosu, Vassallo, & Vezzoni, ; Swami et al ., ; van Prooijen & Douglas, ). Conspiracy theories can be defined as a subset of false narratives in which the ultimate cause of an event is believed to be due to a malevolent plot by multiple actors working together (Swami & Furnham, ; Swami et al ., ).…”