Conspiracy theories – alternative explanations for major events that reject well-evidenced explanations in favour of implausible, illogical, or fantastical secret plots – have surged in popularity, particularly in times of crisis.
New research by psychologists from University of Staffordshire and the University of Birmingham, published in the Journal of Social Issues, identifies spite as a key factor that underlies conspiracy theory belief.
“Spiteful psychological motives tend to emerge when people feel at a competitive disadvantage, often when we feel uncertain, threatened or undervalued,” explained lead researcher Dr David Gordon from University of Staffordshire.
“Spite is the desire to ‘level the playing field’ by trying to knock someone else down because it feels like there is no other choice. Conspiracy theories can serve as a way for individuals to satisfy this desire through rejecting expert opinion and scientific consensus.”
Over three studies involving 1000 participants, the research examined how spitefulness interacts with three established motivations for conspiracy thinking: a need to understand the world (epistemic motives), a need for security (existential motives), and a need for social significance (social motives).
As expected, higher levels of spite were associated with a stronger belief in conspiracy theories, and spite mediated the relationship between conspiracy theory belief and the three established predictors.
Dr Megan Birney, co-author from the University of Birmingham, explained: “We are not suggesting that people consciously choose to be spiteful when believing and spreading conspiracy theories. Instead, our findings suggest that feelings of disadvantage in those three areas can provoke a common psychological – spiteful – response, one that makes individuals more receptive to believing conspiracy theories.”
In the research, the strongest relationship was between belief, spite and uncertainty about the world. The researchers believe the latter could be offset by effective science communication and media literacy around complex topics aimed at countering misinformation.
The results also have the broader implications. They suggest that efforts to combat belief in conspiracy theories should not focus solely on countering misinformation but also address the social and political conditions that foster feelings of disenfranchisement, precariousness and competition.
“If we understand conspiracy beliefs as a manifestation of spite – a reaction to real or perceived social and economic disadvantage – then tackling misinformation is inseparable from addressing broader societal issues such as financial insecurity and inequality,” added Dr Gordon.
Read the full paper – Spite and Science-Denial: Exploring the Role of Spitefulness in Conspiracy Ideation and COVID-19 Conspiracy Beliefs.