The Psychology of Conspiracies

graphic by bella alimenti

The News Literacy Organization defines a conspiracy theory as “an unfounded explanation of an event or situation that blames the work of a sinister, secretive group.” Oftentimes, the explanations surround major world happenings, especially those with political or social stakes. For example, one of the most commonly believed conspiracies in the United States is the belief that there were two shooters involved in the asassination of President John F. Kennedy. 

When something unexpected or catastrophic happens, oftentimes, the logical explanation to explain it can feel too mundane or simple to justify such an event. This feeling only increases when the event relates to a portion of a person’s identity. Any personal tie leaves one to process not only the event itself, but also to potentially question their most sacred possession: their identity. Thus, people sometimes latch on to outrageous, unfounded theories in order to find explanations that are of the same magnitude as the events themselves. 

Cognitive bias— a human behavior that compels us to question or reject information that disagrees with what we already believe— also comes into play here, especially in instances of political events. If one believes a particular political party to be corrupt, and that party wins the next election, it may be easier to believe that said party rigged the election than to believe that the favored party simply lost. 

As far as disproving conspiracy theories goes, it’s not as simple as providing facts and evidence. Because of the secretive, deceptive nature of conspiracies, theorists will often claim that any group who attempts to debunk a conspiracy, is part of the conspiracy themselves. For this reason, it can be difficult to combat conspiracy theories because any opposition at all is viewed as another form of deception.