Conspiracy theory

:For the fictional film, see Conspiracy Theory (movie).

Psychology of conspiracy theory

Humans naturally respond to events or situations which have had an emotional impact upon them by trying to make sense of those events, typically in values-laden spiritual, moral or political terms, though occasionally in scientific terms. Events which resist such interpretation—for example, because they are, in fact, senseless—can provoke the inquirer to have recourse to ever more extreme speculations, until one is reached that is capable of offering the inquirer the required emotional satisfaction. Once cognized, confirmation bias and avoidance of cognitive dissonance may reinforce the belief. In a context where conspiracy theory has become popular within a social group, communal reinforcement may equally play a part. As sociological historian Holger Herwig found in studying German explanations of World War I:

Related Topics:
Confirmation bias - Cognitive dissonance - Communal reinforcement - World War I

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:Those events that are most important are hardest to understand, because they attract the greatest attention from mythmakers and charlatans.

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There is no reason, however, to assume that all people supporting a conspiracy theory - or even a number of such theories - necessarily do so because of such mechanisms.

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