The features of people who believe in conspiracy theories
High stress, low IQ, low self-esteem
If you think that there were no Americans on the Moon, antivirus software manufacturers themselves produce viruses, oil corporations block the development of alternative energy, and GMOs cause infertility , then it is quite possible that you have a difficult life and high levels of stress, for example, because of problems in personal life or economic crisis. Such a conclusion can be drawn from a new scientific study , the results of which are published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences .
Scientists from the University of England Ruskin (Anglia Ruskin University) interviewed 420 respondents, asking them a number of questions, including the landing of Americans on the Moon and other conspiracy theories. They were asked to assess their level of anxiety, social status and tell them whether they had experienced severe stress in the past six months.
As a result, a correlation was found between stress levels and belief in conspiracy theories. No correlation with social status was found.
As always in such studies, the question of cause and effect remains open. After all, it is quite logical to assume that it is not a high level of stress that makes a person believe in conspiracy theories, but, on the contrary, belief in conspiracy theories makes a person nervous. One way or another, but a connection is established between these qualities.
The authors believe that it is because of stress that a person becomes susceptible to suggestion: “Stressful situations worsen the ability to think analytically,” says the leading author of the study, social psychologist Viren Swami. - If a person experiences a stressful event in life, then he is more inclined to a certain type of thinking, for example, to recognize certain patterns and connections [between events] that do not exist. Therefore, stressful events can sometimes contribute to conspiracy thinking. ”
Another theory suggests that distressing events push a person to try to better control, explain life and surrounding events, and conspiracy theories are one of the supporting ways to do this.
However, not only stress explains a person's belief in conspiracy theories. Previously, studies were conducted that found a correlation with a number of other factors, including reduced intelligence , certain political views , distrust of power , low levels of self-esteem, and a feeling of helplessness . That is, there is a whole set of psychological factors. Of course, in the modern information space, people easily find like-minded people on the Internet, further strengthening their faith.
Antiscientific conspiracy theories pose a certain threat to scientific progress if such ideas capture the majority of the population.
By the way, one of the researchIt proves mathematically that large conspiracy theories cannot be kept secret for a long time. However, who said that the participants in the conspiracy did not sponsor this scientific work? Hmm ...