ABSTRACT
When we tell people that we study the psychology of conspiracy theories, they always ask: ‘Why do people believe in them?’ However, there is no easy answer to this question. There are many psychological reasons why conspiracy theories appeal to people, and much of this section of the handbook is dedicated to these explanations. This is also not to mention the other sections of this handbook that explore the social, historical, cultural and political foundations of conspiracy belief. Conspiracy theories are complicated, and the reasons people believe them are also complicated. However, in the past ten years or so, it has become somewhat easier to explain why conspiracy theories are so popular, since research on the psychological, social and political underpinnings of conspiracy belief has flourished during this time (Douglas, Sutton 2018; Douglas et al. 2019). In this chapter, we explore some of the psychological factors, specifically focusing on the motivational and emotional reasons why people adopt conspiracy theories. As we will see, more is known about the former than the latter, but this opens up many exciting opportunities for future research.
