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28 Profiling A Conspiracy Theorist

Profiling a Conspiracy

Theorist: Why Some

People Believe

By Joshua Hart, Union College

Here's a theory: President Barack Obama was
not born in the United States. Here's another:
Climate change is a hoax. Here's one more: The
"deep state" spied on Donald Trump's
campaign, and is now trying to destroy his
presidency.
Who believes this stuff? Conspiracy
theories have been cooked up for ages, but for
the first time in history, we have a president who
has regularly endorsed them. Assuming that
President Donald Trump's preoccupation is
genuine, he shares it with many fellow Consistent with previous research, we espoused unusual ideas, including the theory
Americans. What explains it? found that one major predictor of conspiracy that people have a limited lifetime reservoir of
I'm a psychologist who studies, among belief was "schizotypy." That's a constellation energy that physical exercise depletes.
other things, people's worldviews and belief of traits that include a tendency to be relatively President Trump also seems to see the
systems. I wanted to figure out why some untrusting, ideologically eccentric and prone to world as a dangerous place. His campaign
people gobble up conspiratorial explanations, having unusual perceptual experiences (e.g., speeches warned about murderous rapist
while others dismiss them as the raving of sensing stimuli that are not actually present). immigrants flooding across the border and black
lunatics. The trait borrows its name from schizophrenia, communities being in "the worst shape" they've
but it does not imply a clinical diagnosis. ever been. His inauguration address described a
Consistency in views Schizotypy is the strongest predictor of hellish landscape of "American carnage."

conspiracy belief. In addition to experiencing
By and large, people gravitate toward the world in unusual ways, we found that people Chaos needs comfort
conspiracy theories that seem to affirm or higher in schizotypy have an elevated need to
validate their political views. Republicans are feel unique, which has previously been linked The dismal nature of most conspiracy theories
vastly more likely than Democrats to believe the with conspiracism. Why? Probably because presents a puzzle to psychologists who study
Obama "birther" theory or that climate change believing in non-mainstream ideas allows beliefs, because most belief systems – think
is a hoax. Democrats are more likely to believe people to stand out from their peers, but at the religion – are fundamentally optimistic and
that Trump's campaign "colluded" with the same time take refuge in a community of like- uplifting. Psychologists have found that people
Russians. minded believers. tend to adopt such beliefs in part because they
But some people are habitual In our studies, conspiracy believers were fulfill emotional goals, such as the need to feel
conspiracists who entertain a variety of generic also disproportionately concerned that the good about oneself and the world. Conspiracy
conspiracy theories. world is a dangerous place. For example, they theories don't seem to fit this mold.
For example, they believe that world were more likely to agree that "all the signs" are Then again, if you are a person who
politics are controlled by a cabal instead of pointing to imminent chaos. looks at the world and sees chaos and
governments, or that scientists systematically Finally, conspiracists had distinct malevolence, perhaps there is comfort in the
deceive the public. This indicates that cognitive tendencies: They were more likely notion that there is someone to blame. If "there's
personality or other individual differences than nonbelievers to judge nonsensical something going on," then there is something
might be at play. statements as profound – for example, that could be done about it.
In fact, some people seem to be "wholeness quiets infinite phenomena" – a Perhaps, then, even the darkest and most
downright devoted to conspiracy theories. tendency cheekily known as "bullshit bizarre conspiracy theories offer a glint of hope
When conspiracy maven Alex Jones' content receptivity." for some people.
was recently banned from several social media They were also more likely to say that Take the "QAnon" theory that has
websites, the popularity of his Infowars news nonhuman objects – triangle shapes moving recently received a flurry of media attention.
app skyrocketed. around on a computer screen – were acting This theory features a nightmare of pedophile
Scientific research examining the nature intentionally, as though they were capable of rings and satanic cults. But some adherents have
of the "conspiratorial disposition" is abundant, having thoughts and goals they were trying to adopted a version of the theory that President
but scattershot. So in a pair of new studies, and accomplish. Trump has it all under control.
with help from my student Molly Graether, I In other words, they inferred meaning
If our research advances the
tried to build on previous research to piece and motive where others did not. understanding of why some people are more
together a more comprehensive profile of the attracted to conspiracy theories than others, it is
typical conspiracy theory believer, and for that Is Trump a conspiracy thinker? important to note that it says nothing about
matter, the typical non-believer. whether or not conspiracy theories are true.
Although we can't know how he would score on After the Watergate scandal brought
Common traits our questionnaires, President Trump's public down a president for participating in a criminal
statements and behavior suggest that he fits the conspiracy, the American public learned that
We asked more than 1,200 American adults to profile fairly well. seemingly outlandish speculation about the
provide extensive information about themselves First, he does display some schizotypal machinations of powerful actors is sometimes
and whether they agreed with generic characteristics. He is famously untrusting of right on the money.
conspiratorial statements. We tried to measure others. Donald Trump Jr. has described how his And when a conspiracy is real, people
as many personal factors as possible that had father used to admonish him in kindergarten not with a conspiracist mindset may be among the
been previously linked to conspiracy belief. to trust anyone under any circumstances. The first to pick up on it – while others get duped.
Looking at many traits simultaneously would elder Trump is also relatively eccentric. He is a The rub is that the rest of the time, they might
allow us to determine, all else being equal, unique politician who doesn't hew consistently be duping themselves. []
which ones were most important. to party lines or political norms. He has