Why some people are more drawn to conspiracy theories than others

Published February 28, 2026 By admin

The way people process information can be a strong predictor of whether they may be drawn to conspiracy theories, according to new research.

Conspiracy theories often provide a clear, ordered version of events which make sense of a chaotic world, and this can make them particularly appealing to people who prefer structured, rule‑based explanations of what is happening, according to a team led by academics at Flinders University in Australia.

But conspiracy beliefs can be highly damaging. They can erode trust in institutions, influence vaccine uptake and hinder responses to genuine emergencies, as well as increase people’s anxiety, strain relationships, spread misinformation and weaken people’s critical thinking abilities.

But instead of pointing to poor reasoning as the key to recognising why people are drawn to conspiracies, the research team highlight the role of a thinking style they describe as “systemising”.

They defined this as the “strong drive to identify patterns and make sense of events through consistent rules” which shape how people interpret complex information.

The study, led by Flinders University’s Dr Neophytos Georgiou, an expert in conspiracy belief research, examined more than 550 people to understand why some show an increased interest in conspiracy explanations.

“People often assume conspiracy beliefs form because someone isn’t thinking critically,” says Dr Georgiou

“But our findings show that for those who prefer systematic structure, conspiracy theories can feel like a highly organised way to understand confusing or unpredictable events.”

Read more https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/conspiracy-theories-science-university-research-b2929161.html

Content retrieved from: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/conspiracy-theories-science-university-research-b2929161.html.