[troutman]

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5724570/

We have reviewed the current literature on the psychological factors that appear to drive conspiracy belief. We conclude that conspiracy belief appears to stem to a large extent from epistemic, existential, and social motives. Research has yet to demonstrate that it effectively serves those motivations, and early indications are that it may often thwart them. It is possible, therefore, that conspiracy belief is a self-defeating form of motivated social cognition. However, important questions remain open, and more controlled research on the consequences of conspiracy beliefs is needed, particularly on the vulnerable and disadvantaged populations that have been identified as most likely to benefit from them. We hope that this review will serve as an organizing schema for future research on the psychology of conspiracy belief.

Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?
The need to find order in a confusing world

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/b...iracy-theories

The researchers found that reasons for believing in conspiracy theories can be grouped into three categories:

• The desire for understanding and certainty
• The desire for control and security
• The desire to maintain a positive self image