There are Epistemic motives for believing in conspiracy theories
There is evidence that conspiracy theories appear to appeal to individuals who seek accuracy and/or meaning, but perhaps lack the cognitive tools or experience problems that prevent them from being able to find accuracy and meaning via other more rational means.
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The Argument
The causal explanations that Conspiracy Theories provide are comforting.
These include
- slaking curiosity when information is unavailable
- reducing uncertainty and bewilderment when available information is conflicting
- finding meaning when events seem random
- and defending beliefs from disconfirmation
Conspiracy theories provide great comfort because they provide a closed and protective information loop: as a conspiracy believer, anybody telling you that you are wrong, or sharing information that challenges your beliefs can be seen as part of the broader conspiracy.
It might be added that Conspiracy Believers who do so for epistemic (knowledge / understanding) reasons, tend to display the following characteristics:
overestimate their ability to understand complex causal phenomena
need cognitive closure
are prone to commit the Conjunction Fallacy
lower analytic thinking
hypersensitive agency detection (attribute intentionality where it isn't)
tendency to accept unwarranted beliefs
lower intelligence
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