New research highlights spite as a motivator of conspiracy theory beliefs
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A new series of studies published in the Journal of Social Issues suggests that spite—a desire to harm others even at one’s own expense—may help explain why some people are drawn to conspiracy theories. The research, conducted by psychologists at Staffordshire University and the University of Birmingham, found that feelings of competitive disadvantage can trigger a spiteful mindset, which in turn makes people more receptive to conspiracy theories, especially those that involve science denial.
Across three pre-registered studies involving representative samples of adults in the United Kingdom, the researchers found that well-known psychological motives—such as feeling uncertain, powerless, or socially undervalued—were all associated with increased conspiracy thinking. But their results also indicate that spite may be a common psychological thread tying these motives together.
Conspiracy theories are widespread and have serious consequences. They can undermine trust in science, foster social division, and hinder collective action on issues like climate change or public health.
“Conspiracy theories have been a long-standing interest of mine, from being a 10-year old watching X-files to observing the explosion of conspiracy theories after 9/11. As a psychologist, I kept up with the latest research and lectured on the subject for years, and from there felt I had found an unexplored area of the topic,” said study author David Gordon, a senior lecturer at the University of Staffordshire.
Past research has identified three main reasons people might turn to conspiracies: the need to understand complex events (epistemic motives), the need to feel safe or in control (existential motives), and the need to feel valued or respected in society (social motives).
But these motives are often studied separately, and the researchers wanted to explore whether they might share a deeper psychological origin. They proposed that feelings of being disadvantaged—whether cognitively, socially, or politically—might activate a spiteful mindset that makes conspiratorial thinking more appealing.
Spite, in this context, is defined as a desire to harm others even if doing so comes at a personal cost. While this behavior seems irrational on the surface, evolutionary theorists argue that spite can sometimes serve a competitive function—lowering the relative advantage of rivals or high-status groups. The researchers hypothesized that conspiracy theories may function as a cultural outlet for this spiteful motivation: by rejecting the authority or expertise of powerful institutions, believers can symbolically “level the playing field.”
Content retrieved from: https://www.psypost.org/new-research-highlights-spite-as-a-motivator-of-conspiracy-theory-beliefs/.
