Why Some People Are More Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Than Others
A strong psychological need for order and structure can, in some individuals, overshadow their ability to question beliefs, according to new research. The way people process information serves as a strong predictor of whether they may be drawn to conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories often provide a clear, ordered version of events that make sense of a chaotic world. This makes them particularly appealing to people who prefer structured, rule-based explanations of what is happening, as highlighted by a team led by academics at Flinders University in Australia.
The Damaging Effects of Conspiracy Beliefs
Conspiracy beliefs can be highly damaging. They can erode trust in institutions, influence vaccine uptake, and hinder responses to genuine emergencies. Additionally, they increase people's anxiety, strain relationships, spread misinformation, and weaken critical thinking abilities.
Instead of pointing to poor reasoning as the key factor, the research team emphasises the role of a thinking style they describe as systemising. They define this as the strong drive to identify patterns and make sense of events through consistent rules, which shapes how people interpret complex information.
Insights from the Study
The study, led by Dr Neophytos Georgiou, an expert in conspiracy belief research at Flinders University, examined more than 550 people to understand why some show an increased interest in conspiracy explanations.
People often assume conspiracy beliefs form because someone isn't thinking critically, says Dr Georgiou. But our findings show that for those who prefer systematic structure, conspiracy theories can feel like a highly organised way to understand confusing or unpredictable events.
In the research, different thinking profiles were identified. It was discovered that people who strongly liked patterns and structure were more likely to believe conspiracy theories, even when they demonstrated good scientific reasoning skills.
What stood out is that people who systemise strongly want the world to make sense in a very consistent way, said Dr Georgiou. Conspiracy theories often offer that sense of order. They tie loose ends together. Even when someone has strong reasoning ability, their desire for strict explanations can overshadow their ability to question those beliefs.
Rigidity in Belief Systems
The team also found that people who strongly identified with patterns and structure were more rigidly bound to the patterns and structures they had already associated with issues. This means they were less flexible in updating their beliefs even when presented with new evidence.
In tasks that required participants to revise their views when presented with new information, those with high systemising tendencies were less likely to shift their perspective, said Dr Georgiou. This may help explain why conspiracy beliefs can persist even when contradictory information is available.
Implications for Addressing Misinformation
The research highlights the cognitive style someone brings to information, Dr Georgiou noted. For people who naturally seek structure and predictability, conspiracy theories can be appealing because they feel ordered, logical and consistent for events that feel chaotic.
The team said their work underscores the importance of recognising diverse thinking styles and hope the findings can inform approaches to dealing with misinformation and conspiracy.
Rather than relying only on fact-checking or logic-based interventions, strategies may need to reflect how people prefer to process information, said Dr Georgiou. Conspiracy beliefs meet psychological needs, and if we ignore that, we overlook what actually makes these narratives persuasive.
The research is published in the journal Cognitive Processing.
