Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories and the Psychology Behind Them
- Brainz Magazine
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Cleopatra Zhonga is a licensed mental health counselor and an ERP-certified Specialist for treating OCD, phobias, and other obsessive-compulsive related disorders. She founded Thought Shift Therapy, a private practice dedicated to shifting mindsets and transforming the way we approach fear, anxiety, and mental health challenges.
In a world filled with rapid change, uncertainty, constant news updates, and a flood of information from every direction, it's no surprise that conspiracy theories often find fertile ground. But why are they so compelling? What makes a person, even a knowledgeable and otherwise rational one, susceptible to believing in shadowy plots and secret agendas?
It all comes down to psychology.
What is a conspiracy theory?
At its core, a conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that involves secret plots by powerful groups working behind the scenes. These theories often challenge official or widely accepted accounts, suggesting that hidden forces are manipulating outcomes for their gain.
But beyond the specifics of any one theory, what matters is why such explanations capture our imagination and influence our thinking.
Conspiracy theories aren’t just about facts or evidence; they’re about how our minds try to make sense of uncertainty, fear, and complexity in the world around us.
Understanding this deeper psychological and emotional groundwork helps us see these beliefs not simply as “crazy ideas,” but as part of a very human way to cope with confusion and threat.
The brain’s need for order
Humans naturally look for reasons behind events to help make sense of the world and feel more certain about what’s happening around them. This concept extends to various aspects of life, such as everyday worries, misunderstandings in relationships, or the anxious mind’s tendency to jump to worst-case scenarios. When uncertainty strikes, like waiting for important news or dealing with unexpected setbacks, our brains work overtime to fill in the blanks, sometimes creating explanations that feel more certain than reality.
Lewandowsky et al. (2015, as cited in Douglas et al., 2018) explain that when things feel random or confusing, we try to fill in the gaps to reduce that uncertainty and protect what we already believe. What makes conspiracy theories unique is that they often involve secret plans by groups working behind the scenes, which makes them challenging to disprove because the individuals attempting to debunk them are sometimes perceived as part of the cover-up. This resistance to being disproved helps these theories stick around, especially since they can also defend deeply held beliefs by claiming that contradicting evidence is part of the conspiracy itself.
It's more comforting to believe that someone is in control (even if they're malevolent) than to accept that life is sometimes random, unpredictable, and out of our hands.
Cognitive biases at play
Several well-known cognitive biases contribute to belief in conspiracy theories:
Confirmation bias: We naturally seek out information that supports what we already believe, and ignore or discredit information that challenges our views.
Proportionality bias: We tend to believe that big events must have big causes. A tragic or shocking event feels like it should have an equally shocking explanation.
Illusory pattern perception: Our brains are excellent at seeing connections, even when none exist. This can lead us to link unrelated events into a narrative that feels meaningful and intentional.
False consensus: We tend to believe that our beliefs, values, and priorities are the same as others beliefs, values and priorities.
The “Mere” exposure effect: The more we hear or see something (even if it's false), the more familiar and believable it becomes.
Our brains are already wired with ego. We seek familiarity, comfort, and control, and naturally avoid fear, change, or randomness. But the danger in this wiring is that life is often unfamiliar, uncomfortable, scary, and unpredictable. When we engage in cognitive biases, even unintentionally, we end up reinforcing our intolerance of uncertainty rather than learning to live with it. This leads to false narratives, irrational defense mechanisms, and survival instincts that stem less from truth and more from our deep, human need to belong.
The threat management system: A double-edged sword
Our brains didn’t evolve to be perfectly rational; they evolved to keep us alive. Enter the threat management system, a deeply ingrained mental process designed to help us detect and respond to potential dangers in our environment.
Van Prooijen & van Vugt (2018) propose that people possess a functionally integrated mental system to detect conspiracies, shaped in an ancestral environment where hostile coalitions were a frequent source of misery, death, and reproductive loss.
From an evolutionary standpoint, it’s far better to assume a threat is real (even if it’s not) than to miss one that is. This system makes us hyper-aware of social threats, ambiguous cues, and even invisible dangers like betrayal or disease.
But here’s the catch:
When activated too often or without real danger, this system can backfire, leading us to see patterns that aren’t there, assign blame too quickly, and seek simple explanations for complex events.
This is one of the psychological engines behind conspiracy thinking. In uncertain times during pandemics, political turmoil, or personal stress, this threat system kicks into high gear. And suddenly, a chaotic world starts to feel more understandable when someone’s pulling the strings behind the scenes.
The emotional component
For many people, conspiracy theories meet emotional needs. They can provide a sense of control in uncertain times, a feeling of belonging within a community that "knows the truth," or an outlet for anger and mistrust. These emotional drivers can be especially powerful during times of societal upheaval, economic stress, or personal trauma.
Van Prooijen et al. (2021) suggest that since emotions partly drive conspiracy beliefs, encouraging critical and analytical thinking can help reduce those beliefs. Studies show that deeper reasoning or exposure to clear, logical evidence often decreases belief in conspiracy theories and the likelihood of acting on them.
Research also indicates that when people feel empowered and more in control of their lives, they tend to be less drawn to conspiracy theories. Van Prooijen and Acker (2015) found that boosting a person’s sense of control can lower the tendency to believe in conspiracies, showing how important feelings of security are in shaping beliefs.
This shows us how emotions play a powerful role in shaping and understanding our belief systems. When people feel uncertain, powerless, or anxious, they are more likely to turn to conspiracy theories as a way to regain control and make sense of the world. Understanding this emotional foundation helps explain why simply presenting facts isn’t always enough to change minds because addressing the underlying feelings of security and empowerment is just as crucial.
Group identity and social belonging
Conspiracy communities often create strong in-group identities. Believing in a theory can signal who is trustworthy, who is "awake," and who is part of the perceived problem. This can deepen polarization, but it also fulfills a basic human need: to feel understood and connected.
Conspiracy theories often serve important social functions by helping people feel connected to a group and protecting their self-esteem. According to Cichocka, Marchlewska, and Golec de Zavala (2016, as cited in Lewandowsky et al., 2018), these theories allow individuals and their groups to preserve a positive image by shifting blame for negative events onto outside forces. This makes such beliefs particularly attractive to those who feel their group or personal identity is under threat.
What does this mean for all of us
Understanding the psychology behind conspiracy thinking isn't about mocking or dismissing believers. It's about compassionately recognizing the very human processes that lead people down those paths. When we understand the emotional and cognitive forces at work, we can better support critical thinking, emotional regulation, and empathy across divides. However, it’s also important to recognize that pattern recognition can sometimes be misleading or even dangerous, especially for those who feel out of control, isolated, or desperate for security.
So the next time you encounter a theory that seems outlandish, consider this: maybe it’s not really about the theory itself. Often, it reflects a very human desire to make sense of a senseless world. While we may not have control over many events in our lives, we do have control over how we choose to respond. That response can be an opportunity to look deeper within ourselves and ask whether feelings of insecurity, loneliness, or lack of control are influencing our beliefs. Recognizing these needs helps us respond with greater awareness, compassion, and resilience.
Cleopatra Zhonga, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Cleopatra Zhonga is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorders. Drawing on her own experience with OCD, she connects deeply with clients through empathy and firsthand understanding. Having learned to manage her own OCD, Cleopatra has been dedicated to helping others break free from the constraints of fear and break stereotypes surrounding mental health. She founded Thought Shift Therapy as a space to shift thinking, retrain the brain, and face life’s challenges head-on by reframing personal narratives.
