Ricky Green, PhD candidate at the School of Psychology has written in Politics Today on why conspiracy theories appeal to some people.
In the article published in Politics Today, Ricky comments on why people are initially attracted to conspiracy theories and whether they can be harmful.
He describes the attraction to conspiracy theories as a mixture of frustrated psychological needs coupled with a cognitively biased understanding of the world. Currently, people are facing an ever-increasing number of existential threats which tend to evoke feelings of anxiety or threaten people’s livelihood and this is often accompanied by conspiracy theories that offer alternative explanations for official narratives.
“For instance, the current Coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump’s loss of the U.S. presidency, and even the installation of new 5G technology infrastructure have all been riddled with numerous—and at times connected—conspiracy theories.”
Although generally perceived as relatively harmless, Ricky explains how in light of recent events, people are now more aware of the dangers that some conspiracy theories can bring to society and how these more harmful beliefs can be reduced.