Conspiracy Theories

A person’s tendency to see secret plots strongly predicts their belief in political rumors. But new research suggests this trait has limits: people quickly dismiss conspiracies if the rumors make their own political allies look bad.

General belief in secret plots predicts whether someone will oppose local wind farms months later. At the same time, opposing specific turbine projects can deepen a person’s broad suspicions, creating a cycle that threatens the transition to renewable energy.

A new study mapping European political attitudes reveals that people who favor left-wing economic policies but hold conservative cultural views are the most likely to endorse conspiracy theories.

People often isolate themselves in online information bubbles. A new study suggests that balanced AI news chatbots provide a trusted source of diverse news, appealing heavily to readers who typically distrust mainstream media narratives.

New research provides evidence that active political participation mixed with election fraud conspiracy beliefs predicted support for the Capitol riots. The findings show how unverified narratives can push standard political engagement toward the justification of illegal acts.

Why do analytical people fall for conspiracy theories? A new study reveals that individuals who crave strict rules and predictable patterns are easily drawn to the artificial sense of order that conspiratorial narratives provide.

Researchers have discovered that everyday nervousness is linked to conspiracy theory endorsement, while stress regarding elections and polarization is not. This challenges the assumption that political anxiety drives conspiratorial thinking.

A new study finds election conspiracy theories don't necessarily cause democratic backsliding. Instead, people who already support authoritarianism are more likely to embrace conspiracy beliefs.

A new study reveals that tweets expressing collective narcissism—a belief in a group’s superiority and victimhood—were central to the "Stop the Steal" movement. These messages went viral by tapping into deep-seated psychological needs for recognition.

Does a university degree protect you from fake news? Not if you have high narcissistic traits. New findings suggest that a need to feel special can make even highly educated people fall for conspiracy theories.

Can conspiracy theorists change their minds? A comprehensive review suggests they can, though the effects are often small. Interventions appear most successful when they target younger audiences and provide concrete factual alternatives.

New research published in Applied Cognitive Psychology identifies a strong link between conspiracy theory endorsement and two specific traits.

A series of five studies found that people are more likely to endorse conspiracy theories in societies with restricted freedom of speech, even after accounting for the country's overall level of democracy.

A new study in PNAS Nexus finds that short conversations with AI can reduce belief in conspiracy theories and other unsupported ideas—even when people think they're talking to a human, not a machine. The messenger's identity appears to matter less...

A common mental shortcut may explain why many people believe in election fraud. New research shows the order of the vote count can make a legitimate late comeback seem suspicious, impacting perceptions of the election's legitimacy.