Belief in conspiracy theories is related to the believers’ extreme overconfidence.

Social psychological processes, such as specific biases, also strengthen conspiracy theorists’ beliefs.

The antidote is to provide as much objective, contradictory evidence as you can.

The Apollo moon landings never happened and were staged in Hollywood film studios. Climate change and COVID-19 are hoaxes. Feminism is a conspiracy to decrease the white birth rate to endanger the West.

The Apollo moon landings never happened and were staged in Hollywood film studios.

Climate change and COVID-19 are hoaxes.

Feminism is a conspiracy to decrease the white birth rate to endanger the West.

These and many more conspiracy theories, both ones proven false and some true ones (e.g., for decades, tobacco companies buried evidence that smoking is deadly), were used in research to test people’s tendency to believe conspiracy theories.

Part of this research looked at the motivations, personality, and social identities of persons prone to believing conspiracy theories. In some of this research, belief in conspiracy theories is linked to narcissism and a desire to be seen as unique. There is also evidence that conspiracy believers tend to lack critical thinking skills. Some conspiracy theorists consider themselves to be “critical........

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