Title

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (Journal Article)

Summary

This article examines the psychological factors that contribute to the allure of conspiracy theories, focusing on epistemic, existential, and social motives. It demonstrates that these factors explain why individuals are drawn to conspiracy theories, but there is limited research on the psychological ramifications of holding such beliefs. The paper argues that conspiracy theories might be more appealing than genuinely fulfilling, and it calls for additional research to determine when and for whom these beliefs might fulfill psychological needs.

 

 

َAuthor

Douglas, Sutton, R. M., & Cichocka, A.

Year

2017

َThematic Area

Communication Studies

Topic

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation

Country

Global

Region

Global

Misinformation Combatting

Misinformation Source

Place Published

Publisher

Journal

Current Directions in Psychological Science : a Journal of the American Psychological Society,

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417718261

URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417718261

https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417718261

APA 7th End Text Citation

Douglas, Sutton, R. M., & Cichocka, A. (2017). The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories. Current Directions in Psychological Science : a Journal of the American Psychological Society, 26(6), 538–542. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417718261