What are the psychological characteristics of individuals who endorse conspiracy thinking?
The psychological characteristics of individuals who endorse conspiracy thinking can be those who tend to put meaning into events and phenomena—often those events are meaningless and require no interpretation. Others who are worried about the uncertainties and unknowns of the world can also endorse conspiracy thinking as it provides them with a self-soothing effect and a sense of control over the uncontrollable. Some might endorse conspiracy thinking because they want to feel superior to others by knowing a “secret” event that others do not know of—similar to a god-complex. However, many resort to conspiracism due to loneliness or anxiety. Additionally, many adolescents are more susceptible to believing in “absurd” conspiracy theories such as the Illuminati or PizzaGate. During this period, children and teenagers are easily indoctrinated by authority figures: you do not question what they say; instead, you take it as the absolute truth. Hence, there is an extensive range of reasons why individuals endorse conspiracism.
Although personality traits and psychological characteristics play a vital role in the endorsement of conspiracy thinking, environmental circumstances heighten and increase the likelihood that individuals will resort to conspiracy theories. For instance, during times of distrust—especially when you cannot tell if your neighbor is a friend or foe—and paranoia such as after 9/11 or during the Iraq War, many crave a truth that will soothe their fears and skepticism about the people around them. In addition, during times of uncertainty such as COVID-19, it exacerbates feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anxiety. This in turn increases the chances that individuals will seek ultimate truths about the world and endorse conspiracy theories.
For further reading, I recommend reading this research article: Conspiracy endorsement and its associations with personality functioning, anxiety, loneliness, and sociodemographic characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic in a representative sample of the German population | PLOS ONE
References
Cushing, E. (2020, May 13). I Was a Teenage Conspiracy Theorist. The Atlantic. Retrieved July 24, 2023, from https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/i-was-a-teenage-conspiracist/610975/
Hettich, N., Beutel, M. E., Ernst, M., Schliessler, C., Kampling, H., Kruse, J., & Braehler, E. (2022). Conspiracy endorsement and its associations with personality functioning, anxiety, loneliness, and sociodemographic characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic in a representative sample of the German population. PLOS ONE, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263301
