When Editor Jake Sonderman instructed Bloggers to explore “Conspiracy Theories,” Elizabeth decided to explore WHY we are drawn to conspiracy.

By Elizabeth Shay

The government is hiding aliens at Area 51. The moon landings were fake. The “Illuminati” are trying to take over the world….These are just some well known examples of the numerous conspiracy theories that exist. Such wild conspiracy theories come about as people try to explain the seemingly unexplainable, often increasing in prevalence during periods of widespread anxiety or uncertainty. Humans have believed in conspiracy theories for millennia; one of the earliest theories was  that Emperor Nero was responsible for the burning of Rome in 64 A.D. Joseph Uscinski, PhD, an associate professor of political science at the University of Miami, says, “To one degree or another, we all have a disposition within us to view events and circumstances as the product of conspiracies.” But what exactly are conspiracy theories, and why do our brains love them so much?

Definitions vary, but, ultimately, conspiracy theories are attempts to explain events or phenomena as the result of the covert actions and influence of a powerful organization or group. Not to be confused with myths (stories not always purporting to be literal, often related to the supernatural, and which endure across millennia) or hoaxes (a deception that’s often preposterous, sometimes funny), conspiracy theories are often supported by exaggerations or false “facts” to make them appear more credible. 

The likelihood of a person believing conspiracy theories exists on a spectrum that Professor Uscinski calls the “conspiracy dimension,” which ranges from those who never believe in them to those who suspect that there is a conspiracy behind everything. Most people fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes. In Uscinski’s book, American Conspiracy Theories, he finds that there is little difference between the genders, races, and religious versus nonreligious people with regards to who is more prone to conspiracism. Another surprising finding is that there is little difference in conspiratorial tendencies based on political leanings. However, people with no high school education and lower incomes tend to be more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. There are certain characteristics associated with people who tend to accept such theories as fact, including high levels of anxiety, paranoia, feelings of isolation, and low agreeability. 

But why do people believe in conspiracy theories? Research has shown that we’re not fully in control of whether or how our brains take in new information and what we do with it.  In his book, Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories, Rob Brotherton, PhD, a psychologist at Barnard College, writes, “Conspiracy theories resonate with some of our brain’s built-in biases and shortcuts, and tap into some of our deepest desires, fears, and assumptions about the world and the people in it.” Conspiracy theories appeal to unconscious functions and instincts within our brain and seem like a source of order within the chaos. The prefrontal cortex of the brain has evolved to detect patterns and can make connections where they don’t exist. Once a supposed pattern is detected, confirmation bias causes people to seek out and believe information that supports their theory.

Conspiracy theories thrive in stressful times such as these. We all want to understand what is happening in a chaotic world and why. With the prevalence of the Internet and social media, theories are easily spread. It is important to be on the lookout for suspicious sources and use critical thinking to analyze the stories we come across. After all, like it or not, “We are all natural-born conspiracy theorists” (Brotherton).

Conspiracy Theories Editor: Jake Sonderman

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