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Abstraction · 61-69, M
Not most I know. It has proven association for many people with feelings of powerlessness in their life. It gives them a cohesive story to explain what's going on in the world. Interestingly these conspiracies often seem to explain [i]everything[/i].
From psychology today:
* Conspiracy theories aren't delusions, but they can cause psychological distress.
* The phrase "not mentally ill, but not mentally healthy" often applies to those who believe in conspiracy theories.
* Mistrust and vulnerability to misinformation lie at the root of conspiracy theory beliefs.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/psych-unseen/202111/conspiracy-theories-arent-delusions
From psychology today:
* Conspiracy theories aren't delusions, but they can cause psychological distress.
* The phrase "not mentally ill, but not mentally healthy" often applies to those who believe in conspiracy theories.
* Mistrust and vulnerability to misinformation lie at the root of conspiracy theory beliefs.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/psych-unseen/202111/conspiracy-theories-arent-delusions
RodionRomanovitch · 56-60, M
@Abstraction Yeah , I'm understanding that , but what provoked the question was a piece I was reading in the NYT which was an exhaustive examination of people's motives for believing in them. The points you made are discussed , as are lots of others.
What piqued me was this ; "In a September 2021 paper, “Social Motives for Sharing Conspiracy Theories,” Ren, Dimant and Schweitzer argue that in promulgating conspiracy theories on social media, many people “knowingly share misinformation to advance social motives.”
When deliberately disseminating misinformation, the authors write,
'people make calculated trade-offs between sharing accurate information and sharing information that generates more social engagement. Even though people know that factual news is more accurate than conspiracy theories, they expect sharing conspiracy theories to generate more social feedback (i.e. comments and “likes”) than sharing factual news.'
Ren, Dimant and Schweitzer add that “more positive social feedback for sharing conspiracy theories significantly increases people’s tendency to share these conspiracy theories that they do not believe in.”
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business, noted that spreading a lie can serve as a shibboleth — something like a password used by one set of people to identify other people as members of a particular group — providing an effective means of signaling the strength of one’s commitment to fellow ideologues."
Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/opinion/trump-conspiracy-theories.html
What piqued me was this ; "In a September 2021 paper, “Social Motives for Sharing Conspiracy Theories,” Ren, Dimant and Schweitzer argue that in promulgating conspiracy theories on social media, many people “knowingly share misinformation to advance social motives.”
When deliberately disseminating misinformation, the authors write,
'people make calculated trade-offs between sharing accurate information and sharing information that generates more social engagement. Even though people know that factual news is more accurate than conspiracy theories, they expect sharing conspiracy theories to generate more social feedback (i.e. comments and “likes”) than sharing factual news.'
Ren, Dimant and Schweitzer add that “more positive social feedback for sharing conspiracy theories significantly increases people’s tendency to share these conspiracy theories that they do not believe in.”
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at N.Y.U.’s Stern School of Business, noted that spreading a lie can serve as a shibboleth — something like a password used by one set of people to identify other people as members of a particular group — providing an effective means of signaling the strength of one’s commitment to fellow ideologues."
Link : https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/22/opinion/trump-conspiracy-theories.html
Abstraction · 61-69, M
@RodionRomanovitch I thought you'd be across what I shared. The other really deep need for most as social connection - and of course they trust the views of people in their group. So your idea that for some it might be attention seeking makes sense - particularly for those who consciously create the fiction, or want to be the ones to pass it on. Sharing shock-worthy information or news feels powerful to people as though the news itself gives them esteem as the news-bearer. You could be right.
Magenta · F
@Abstraction
[quote]* The phrase "not mentally ill, but not mentally healthy" often applies to those who believe in conspiracy theories.
* Mistrust and vulnerability to misinformation lie at the root of conspiracy theory beliefs.[/quote]This really resonated with me. I think quite true. Also, I wonder if, within themselves they feel it gives them an elite edge, making believe they are different or set apart from the masses, or feel smarter than others and yes, defo a sense of power. And set firmly in a mind set that they can not be wrong.
[quote]* The phrase "not mentally ill, but not mentally healthy" often applies to those who believe in conspiracy theories.
* Mistrust and vulnerability to misinformation lie at the root of conspiracy theory beliefs.[/quote]This really resonated with me. I think quite true. Also, I wonder if, within themselves they feel it gives them an elite edge, making believe they are different or set apart from the masses, or feel smarter than others and yes, defo a sense of power. And set firmly in a mind set that they can not be wrong.
RodionRomanovitch · 56-60, M
@Magenta That's basically it. They convince themselves that they are privvy to a higher knowledge than the rest of us , because they have watched some trash on youtube or visit alt-right websites where most of this nonsense is generated..... and then accuse others of being 'indoctrinated' . It's laughable really.