Discovery essay
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DiscoveryEssayStudentExample2Accessible.docxLast Name 1
First Name Last Name
Professor Barlow
English 1302
31 March 2019
The Reasoning Behind Conspiracies
On September 11th, 2001, the United States fell victim to a terrorist attack. Two airplanes struck the World Trade Center Towers, burning and collapsing them. This tragedy cost many lives, but there is still some doubt that the attack was a foreign one. There is a large following for this idea of the conspiracy theory of 9/11. Many do not deny the event’s occurrence; rather, people question who the identity of the perpetrator – often believed to be the US government. This and many other conspiracy theories have spread throughout the world and have existed since the beginning of civilization, but why? What is the reason for people to believe in conspiracy theories?
Being a believer in some conspiracies, I asked myself why I believed what I did and could not answer that question. After extensively reading different articles, I have begun to understand why people, such as myself, believe conspiracy theories. I have come to the realization that there are many factors that contribute to the acceptance and belief in conspiracy theories. In the article published by USA Today, William Cummings states that psychologists such as Jan-Willem van Prooijen believe that there are two things that contribute to the appeal of conspiracy theories. These two things are confirmation bias and proportionality bias. Confirmation bias, as explained by Cummings, is “People’s willingness to accept explanations that fit what they already believe.” This explains why conspiracy theorists are so willing to adopt virtually any conspiracy theory. I have found this to be true because when I see evidence for a theory, my mind accepts it by default without critically analyzing its logic. Proportionality bias is “the inclination to believe that big events must have big causes” (Cummings). This means that people often make the connection between a large impactful event to a large cause. In Elizabeth Svoboda’s article “Why Do People Believe the Moon Landing Hoax or Other Conspiracy Theories?”, she states that this inclination is natural because “Assigning meaning to what happens has helped humans to thrive as a species….” I tend to agree with this conclusion because it feels very natural to just assume the cause for something that must be equally as significant as the event itself. In “The Enduring Appeal of Conspiracy Theories” by Melissa Hogenboom, she quotes a professor from the University of Kent, Karen Douglas, stating that being wary of other groups “…makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. ‘In some ways, it is quite adaptive to be suspicious of other groups for your own personal safety’” (qtd. in Hogenboom). Making these connections is what has led humanity to thrive throughout millennia because people were able to find a connection from an event to a cause and realized that the cause should be avoided at all costs. However, these reasons are only the tip of the iceberg.
Another reason for believing in conspiracy theories is the need to be comforted in tragic events. According to an Associate Professor of Psychology at Union College, Joshua Hart states that “if you are a person who looks at the world and sees chaos and malevolence, perhaps there is comfort in the notion that there is someone to blame.” I found this reason to be very interesting because it is not universally true for all conspiracies. For example, the attack during September 11th was blamed on Al Qaeda, a terrorist group located in the Middle East, but still, conspiracy theorists believe that the United States government was the real perpetrator. Since there was already someone to blame, why do conspiracy theorists feel the need to find another person to blame?
In the search for another answer, I found in Hogenboom’s article that people “make sense of the world when they feel out of control, are anxious or feel powerless if their needs are threatened.” This concurs with my previous finding, but still did not answer my question, so after reading further, I found that Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor of psychology at the University of Bristol, states that “it can be psychologically comforting for some to believe that ‘powerful people’ are behind random events” (qtd. in Hogenboom). The key word here is powerful people because conspiracy theorists tend to have a reasonable amount of distrust toward people in power such as government officials. I found that Hart also attributes this to believing in conspiracy theories when he states, “one major predictor of conspiracy belief was ‘schizotypy,’ [which is] a constellation of traits that include a tendency to be relatively untrusting…” This was very reassuring to find because I realized that I do not trust those in power, which could be a major reason why I find some conspiracy theories to be so convincing.
In addition, it has been found in a study that individuals “who grew up insecurely attached to their parents – where they experienced a negative relationship with one or both of them, also seem to be more likely to support conspiracy theories” (Hogenboom). This insecurity from childhood explains the need to be in control and have security. Those who are anxious cope with their anxieties with conspiracy theories that end up making them feel more powerless and uncertain. In “Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?”, David Ludden Ph.D., a professor at Georgia Gwinnet College, says that people hold on to these false beliefs because “Uncertainty is an unpleasant state, and conspiracy theories provide a sense of understanding and certainty that is comforting.” It is natural for humans to seek explanations for events and as it turns out, conspiracy theories are answers that are typically based on emotion in order to feel more certain, but as mentioned previously, they tend to make the person feel less certain about the events around them. Ludden also goes on to say that conspiracy theories provide the person with the desire for control and security. He gives the reason as to why people reject climate change could be due to the fact that if it were true, they would have to change their comfortable lifestyle. This makes sense and explains why people reject events that are scientifically based. It seems that conspiracy theories can simply be used as an excuse to not make a change in one’s life.
Another interesting factor that is generally found in conspiracy theorists is the need to feel unique in knowing information that others do not. According to Ludden, people who believe conspiracy theories often have “a sense that [they are] the holder of privileged knowledge.” I found this to be a recurring idea through other articles as well. In “Profiling a Conspiracy Theorist: Why Some People Believe,” Hart states “that people higher in schizotypy have an elevated need to feel unique.” This makes sense because not believing in mainstream ideas makes the theorist stand out from their peers. Elizabeth Svoboda also mentions the idea of self-importance. She says that “Conspiracy theories… supply a seductive ego boost. Believers often consider themselves part of a select in-group that — unlike the deluded masses — has figured out what's really going on” (Svoboda). This is interesting because the information that these conspiracy theorists, such as myself, believe is not exclusive to only them, rather people just do not believe them simply because most theories tend to ignore science or facts. This is evident in conspiracy theories on vaccinations, despite having ample evidence that shows its efficacy, some still choose to believe that there is something that big pharma is hiding.
This leads to my next reason why people believe in conspiracy theories. It has been noted by many studies, including one that was conducted by Stephan Lewandowsky “that the stronger a person believes in a conspiracy, the less likely they are to trust scientific facts” (qtd. in Hogenboom). If facts that would debunk a theory were presented to a conspiracy theorist, they would label the other person as a victim to the lies that the powerful want them to think. Understanding all of this is quite amusing because it almost seems as if one enters the realm of conspiracies, it is very difficult to get out, especially with reasoning.
After reading through numerous articles that try to find the reason for believing conspiracy theories, I see a common trend. In almost all articles, the belief of conspiracy theories is linked to a lack of trust, desire to be different, and desire to be in control. Of course, every individual is different, and there are other factors that affect one’s beliefs, but I have found these three factors to be relevant throughout the entirety of my research. I have come to realize that my beliefs in certain conspiracy theories stem from a distrust of the rich and powerful. I have also found that I like the idea of being part of an exclusive group that knows the truth. Before conducting my research, I believed that conspiracy theorists were just people who rebelled against social norms and believed simply because it was different. I see now that there is much more to it, and a lot has to do with personal insecurities. The truth is that people just want to feel unique, and there is no problem with that. I have discovered that we are all different, and some people just need to believe in certain things so they can live peacefully. I have concluded that believing in conspiracy theories does not have any negative effects on society and that people’s beliefs stem from reasons beyond the surface. In doing this discovery essay, I have found my reasons for believing, and that will help me overcome any insecurities I may have.
Works Cited
Cummings, William. "Conspiracy Theories: Here's What Drives People to Them, No Matter How Wacky." USA Today, 15 Jan. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/12/23/conspiracy-theory-psychology/815121001/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.
Hogenboom, Melissa. "The Enduring Appeal of Conspiracy Theories." British Broadcasting Corporation, 24 Jan. 2018, www.bbc.com/future/story/20180124-the-enduring-appeal-of-conspiracy-theories. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.
Ludden, David. "Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?" Psychology Today, 6 Jan. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/201801/why-do-people-believe-in-conspiracy-theories. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.
Svoboda, Elizabeth. "Why Do People Believe the Moon Landing Hoax or Other Conspiracy Theories?" The Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/07/20/why-do-people-believe-the-moon-landing-hoax-or-other-conspiracy-theories/?utm_term=.2f184ad7a77c. Accessed 27 Mar. 2019.
