03/11/2024
Conspiracy theorists suffer from a cognitive processing error known as confirmation bias, in which they adhere to their own explanations, however ad hoc or irrational, and ignore or dismiss any evidence to the contrary. It may come as no surprise that conspiracy theorists have higher levels of paranoia and anxiety than the rest of the population resulting in a deep distrust of governments and science. However, sharing their conspiracy theories socially or on-line gives them powerful feelings of being "special" or elite because they feel they possess rare knowledge that sets them apart from everyone else. This also creates an "us versus them" social identity that's further enhanced by their experiences on social media. Experiencing these feelings releases the pleasurable neurotransmitter, dopamine, in their brains and it can become rather addictive. In other words, no amount of reasoning or evidence will ever separate these people from their irrational beliefs because they are emotionally dependent on them.
