The Psychology of Conspiracy Mentality

People vary in their tendency to believe that powerful, hidden elites orchestrate major events—a disposition known as conspiracy mentality. This mindset has been linked to important social outcomes, including political behavior and health-related decisions. This chapter reviews and contrasts existing methods for measuring conspiracy beliefs, discussing their conceptual and methodological implications. It also introduces a novel perspective that conceptualizes conspiracy mentality as composed of distinct, interrelated facets. The chapter examines the distribution of conspiracy mentality across demographic groups, as well as its stability and potential for change. Finally, it reviews key explanatory frameworks that account for individual differences, including unmet psychological needs, experiential learning, and cognitive abilities. The chapter concludes by outlining future research directions to better understand and address conspiracy thinking in society.