10 Reasons Why Some Brains Love Conspiracy Theory

Conspiracy theories sometimes seem crazy and can stem from any event or phenomenon; for example, some believe that “Global Warming is a plot designed to destroy the American Industry.” About 30% of adults in the United States believe that the COVID-19 virus was created in laboratories, deliberately increased, and its threat was amplified. US President John F Kennedy Assassination continues to be the center of conspiracy theories.

People are searching for concrete explanations of what is invisible or unexplained. Conspiracy theories are a dominant feature of culture and politics, not just in the Arab world but in most cultures. Such views may threaten public health, social, developmental, political, and economic fabric of society. For example, people refusing to wear face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic, refusing vaccination against infectious diseases.

In his book “Conspiracy theories in the Middle East: Sources and Politics,” Professor Mathew Gray points out that it is a common phenomenon that may be popular among all society spectrums in the Arab world. On the other hand, Western countries studied conspiracy theories from a different angle. Social scientists and psychologists took an interest in such investigations and their societal interpretations. Meanwhile, many scholars and researchers fear that confidence and distrust in science will deteriorate as politicians and Governments increasingly support political and ideological polarization.

What is a conspiracy theory? What is its history? And what are the characteristics of those who believe in them?

Dr. Joseph Usiensky, Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami, Florida, defines conspiracy theory as the impression of suspicion. A small group of influential people working in the shadows for their benefit (economic, financial, political, or authoritarian). Those mysterious people generally work against the public interest. In a way that undermines the basic and fair rules of ethical practices in societies, Dr. Usiensky explains that this impression has not been verified by subject matter experts who are competent to use the available data and methods. The impression remains a mere doubt or suspicion until it is a fact and evidence checked. Based on this explanation, the “Watergate” scandal cannot be considered a conspiracy theory because the evidence showed that President Richard Nixon of the United States and others conspired to undermine democracy to win the elections with an attempt to cover it up.

“People have always believed in conspiracy theories,” said Dr. Usiensky. Evidence can be found in ancient ages. For example, Niron was believed to order the burning of Rome in 64 AC. However, there was no logical or convincing evidence that he has given such an order, So, it is nothing new, and it is not clear that it is more widespread nowadays than ever before.

In a paper published in the journal Social Psychology, Dr. Anthony Lantian et al. summarized the characteristics of people who are most likely to believe in conspiracy theories: openness, love experimenting, mistrust of others, and the persistence of opposition and rejection.

Professor Mathew Gray believes that occasionally governments and politicians can promote conspiracy theories for various reasons. These include but are not limited to diverting attention from persistent issues and establishing a counter truth to confuse the public. After a while, especially in strict authoritarian regimes, identifying the fact becomes difficult.

According to Dr. Anthony Lantian’s team study and others., there are ten reasons for the relation of love between minds and conspiracy theory. They are as follows:

1. Conspiracy theories make some people feel distinct from their peers: They feel more familiar and knowledgeable with significant social and political events than others.
2. We are all instinctively theorists of a conspiracy, Dr. Rob Bratharton, the psychologist at the American Barnard College, so he explains in his book “The Suspicious Mind”: “Conspiracy theories are deeply rooted in the deep and imbedded biases in our sub mind, which reflect our desires, fears, and assumptions about the world and the people.
3. The widespread use of the Internet and social media as an unverified source of information is often blamed for increasing minds’ attachment to conspiracy theories. According to a study published on August 4^th in Media International Australia journal, it’s common to say that 5G was already transmitting the COVID-19 virus – a claim linked to the conspiracy theory that 5G was bad for us and Facebook helped spread the theory significantly.
4. According to professor Mathew Gray, senior lecturer at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, ideology is the engine of conspiracy theories – he claims- and it is alleged that ideologies like socialism and Arab nationalism have failed to attract the imagination of the majority of people. Therefore, in the absence of a convincing ideology, conspiracy theories are proliferating.
5. Some journalists, psychologists, and others attribute the love of conspiracy theories as it is the ultimate refuge of the weak and suppressed, with their defeatist impressions and their incapability to influence the outcomes. Such characteristics might be evident in societies, particularly in developing countries.
6. The rise of distrust in governments and science is evident during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Chaos and the absence of a unified and practical approach to deal with the social, health, and economic impact of mitigating the virus’s proliferation are present.
7. Anxiety, paranoia, isolation, and loss of control are emotions that can enable the love for secret conspiracies.
8. Usiensky argues that socialization and collective identity may help to nurture our minds on conspiracy theories.
9. People learn about reliable information sources from parents, teachers, friends, and the media they watch. A person’s view of the world’s issues can be significantly influenced by the group’s identity, the media, and the desire to feel integrated and belonging to the community, which at its worst can lead to the emergence of tribalism and sectarianism even in conspiracy theories.
10. Sometimes conspiracies became real. History shows that what people suspected in some cases, such as the classified NASA and defense department programs in the US.

Conclusion:

The conspiracy theory will continue to flourish with the growing distrust of governments and science, increasing communication platforms, and developing internet technologies with lightning speed. The paradox is that the same technologies, networking platforms, websites, and the Internet enable disseminating truth and learning with great ease—the only difference in the way of use and the commitment to ethics, values, and moral beliefs.

The conspiracy theories deserve thoughtful study by researchers in sociology, psychology, political science, especially the Arab world. It’s a real societal phenomenon directly linked to political rhetoric and national culture. The spread of many unverified stories can quickly turn into conspiracy theories. However, such stories are important indicators of domestic interests, concerns, fears, and societal views towards a topic. They can reveal fundamental ideas that are often neglected and ignored by political regimes. Scientists and intellectuals must also counter these theories by re-establishing trust with society. This can be done by creating credible and contemporary channels and tools across social media platforms, just the same as conspiracy theorists’ do.