Conspiracy theories as part of history: The role of societal crisis situations

Abstract

In the present contribution, we examine the link between societal crisis situations and belief in conspiracy theories. Contrary to common assumptions, belief in conspiracy theories has been prevalent throughout human history. We first illustrate historical incidents suggesting that societal crisis situations—defined as impactful and rapid societal change that calls established power structures, norms of conduct, or even the existence of specific people or groups into question—have stimulated belief in conspiracy theories. We then review the psychological literature to explain why this is the case. Evidence suggests that the aversive feelings that people experience when in crisis—fear, uncertainty, and the feeling of being out of control—stimulate a motivation to make sense of the situation, increasing the likelihood of perceiving conspiracies in social situations. We then explain that after being formed, conspiracy theories can become historical narratives that may spread through cultural transmission. We conclude that conspiracy theories originate particularly in crisis situations and may form the basis for how people subsequently remember and mentally represent a historical event.

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

“…These sense‐making motivations tend to be sensitive to threats, increasing the likelihood that people attribute suspect events to the covert activities of hostile conspiracies (Hofstadter, ). This line of reasoning is consistent with the observation that conspiracy theories gain momentum in the context of anxiety‐provoking societal crisis events such as terrorism, natural disasters, or war (Van Prooijen & Douglas, ). The negative emotions that constitute the psychological origins of belief in conspiracy theories include anxiety, uncertainty, or the feeling that one lacks control.…”

Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response

“…It is not surprising that conspiracy theories have flourished at this time. Research suggests that people feel the need to explain large events with proportionally large causes 102 and are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories about events with serious consequences 103 and in times of crisis 104 . This is likely because people are more drawn to conspiracy theories when important psychological needs are frustrated 105 .…”

Expecting the unexpected: the paranoid style of belief updating across species

“…Whether promoting recovery from paranoia-associated illness 77 or interpersonal collaboration, our domain-general approach reaffirms the merit of trying to establish stable, predictable environments. We note with interest the apparent relationship between conspiratorial ideation and societal crisis situations (terrorist attacks, plane crashes, natural disasters or war) throughout history, with peaks around the great fire of Rome (AD 64), the industrial revolution, the beginning of the cold war, 9/11, and contemporary financial crises 78 . Perhaps these broader trends are a macrocosmic version of the unexpected uncertainty manipulation that drove promiscuous switching behaviour in our task, particularly in high paranoia participants.…”