by Stephen Gadsby and Sander Van de Cruys at Psyche: Conspiracy theories are seemingly everywhere. To explain their prevalence, many commentators point to the gullibility of conspiracy theorists. According to this view, believers in conspiracy theories accept evidence without bothering to scrutinise its credibility, making them vulnerable to the misinformation that pervades online ecosystems. But while it’s tempting to take this view, we believe it relies on an unrealistic picture of misinformation and the people who consume it – which is likely undermining attempts to deal with the problem.
Far from passively accepting the truth of conspiracy theories, conspiracy theorists enthusiastically participate in generating, discussing and dissecting them. They also appear genuine in their attempts to get to the bottom of things. They develop sophisticated arguments, go to considerable lengths to find the ‘right’ sources of information, and preach the importance of rigorous and independent research. Conspiracy theorists don’t fall for conspiracy theories. They discover them.
Consider QAnon, the US far-Right conspiracy theory claiming that Democrats are involved in child sex trafficking. The theory involves many implausible claims – for example, that Chelsea Clinton is forced to wear an ankle monitor by an organisation dedicated to prosecuting the trafficking ring. You would be forgiven for thinking that anyone who believes them is not thinking hard enough. But QAnon is not just a theory, but a problem-solving community. Cryptic messages (known as ‘Q drops’) launched by the figurehead ‘Q’ and others in the network spur individuals to ‘do their research’, hunting for clues, connections and explanations. It is not just QAnon that features and promotes puzzle-solving. Conspiracy theories surrounding the John F Kennedy assassination, 9/11 and COVID-19 all draw out amateur investigators who pick apart evidence and discover apparent inconsistencies in the official reports of events. These investigators even establish dedicated social networks to share evidence and engage in highly technical debates over inconsistencies in the official story.
This presents a paradox. Conspiracy theorists appear earnestly committed to finding the truth, yet they are drawn to theories that often involve false and implausible claims. We believe that the psychology of insight – especially the rewarding feelings associated with discovery and revelation – can resolve this paradox, helping to illuminate the surprising role that deep thinking plays in proliferating conspiracies.
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