Bernoulli lecture: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

Social psychologist Karen Douglas researches conspiracy theories in her ERC-funded project “CONSPIRACY_FX – Consequences of conspiracy theories”. A specific focus of her work lies on the effects of conspiracy theories on individuals and societies, but also on the people who spread them.

Professor Douglas, what are conspiracy theories?

It has been difficult for social scientists to agree on one final definition, but I think most agree that it is a theory about a proposed plot that is carried out in secret by a group of people. This plot has to be of public importance. It’s something the public should know about, but they don’t necessarily know about it.

In your research you talk about the “Rabbit Hole Syndrome”. What does that mean?

It’s the idea that people can be drawn into conspiracy theories quite incidentally and once they find themselves in a very nebulous network of ideas, it is difficult to find a way out. People become more committed to a conspiracy theory, can start believing in others, and it becomes a process that is difficult to reverse. It doesn't mean to say that you can't find yourself a way out, but it is quite difficult to do so.

Why is it so difficult to get out?

People believe in conspiracy theories for all sorts of psychological reasons, and one of them is the social aspect. They want to feel good about themselves and the groups that they belong to. So some would argue that people join conspiracy groups to look for a sense of community and a sense of solidarity. They might feel fulfilled by being included in a community of other believers. People also might feel that they have a collective sense of purpose. And if you find that within conspiracy theories, then that makes it even more difficult to get out.

Can anyone get sucked into this rabbit hole?

If the circumstances are right, anybody is susceptible to believing in conspiracy theories. If people have particular psychological needs that are or aren’t being met when they read official explanations, conspiracy theories might seem more appealing. For example, during a time of crisis, people might struggle because certain needs like the need for knowledge or safety or belonging aren’t met. People are more vulnerable to believing conspiracy theories then, because they are looking for an explanation that helps them to cope with a difficult time or try to resolve an inconsistency that they can’t quite work out. Sometimes the official explanations don’t seem satisfying to people.

Is this why it felt like there was a peak of conspiracy theories during the pandemic?

We tend to see such beliefs spiking in times of crises and unrest. So it’s no surprise that they seem to have become more prominent during the pandemic. Everybody’s worried, feeling isolated and fearful of things that are happening. Conspiracy theories are also definitely more visible than they have ever been before, which might also have something to do with social media enabling them to spread better than they used to. Whether people are actually believing them more is a different question.

What other unanswered questions do researchers still have about conspiracy theories?

There are quite a lot actually. One of the key questions is what do we do about them? How do we stop people from endorsing conspiracy theories and how do we stop people from acting upon them? I think we also need to know a lot more about their consequences. We know quite a bit more that we used to but I think more research on what these consequences are and how they come about is going to be important as well.

What would you say is the most visible consequence of conspiracy theories in our society?

A lot of the consequences are quite visible. The anti-vaccine movement is a very prominent one. For example, during the pandemic, people were less likely to socially distance, wash their hands or get a vaccine if they believe that the virus was a hoax. A lot of people were deeply suspicious about vaccines and deeply suspicious about what goes into them and who's putting things in there. They’re actually quite old conspiracy theories. Ever since vaccines were first invented, people have been suspicious about them. But with social media and a lot of celebrities endorsing these anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, they seem to be more prominent than ever.

How do we stop people from believing in these theories? Is it a matter of education?

Yes, education is definitely an assisting factor. Many studies show that education is a predictor of belief in conspiracy theories. People with lower levels of education tend to be more likely to believe in them. It isn’t about people’s intelligence, rather it’s things like analytical and critical thinking, so it’s about the tools that education can give you to be able to resist conspiracy theories when you come across them. So if you encourage a person to think analytically about a problem, then they're perhaps going to be less likely to fall down that rabbit hole.

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories. Bernoulli Lecture for the Behavioral Sciences by Prof. Dr. Karen Douglas. Wednesday, 26 Oktober 2022, 6:15 to 7:45pm, Bernoullianum, Large lecture hall, Bernoullistrasse 30, Basel. Add event to calendar via iCal.