How to Talk to Victims of Conspiracy Theories
Chances are you are familiar with quite a few conspiracy theories – or even believe one yourself. According to a 2014 study by the University of Chicago, over half of Americans believe in at least one conspiracy theory. But the scope of how conspiracy theories affect our daily lives in 2022 has definitely shifted.
The rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory heralded a strange and dark time in American politics. QAnon, along with several other groups, played a role in the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. Those who adhere to QAnon make claims that have been debunked over and over again, including that former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton drinks the blood of children. Such a claim is so wacky that even its existence feels unbelievable, but if that were the case, we wouldn’t be talking about it at all.
So how can we engage with a person who believes in something we so clearly see as being removed from reality? Navigating such conservations poses a test for any journalist.
WHY DO PEOPLE CLING TO THESE THEORIES?
According to Dr. Karen Douglas, a professor of social psychology at the University of Kent, there are three kinds of motives that explain why people gravitate toward conspiracy theories.
The first kind is called an epistemic motive, which is defined as the need for knowledge and answers and the need to feel certain that those answers are the truth. The second kind, called existential motives, refers to peoples’ need to feel safe and secure in the space they occupy and the society they participate in. Finally, social motives are characterized by the need for the person to feel good about themselves as an individual. The final group of motives is especially visible, says Douglas, as the feeling of superiority for being privy to information that someone else might not be is a powerfully addictive feeling.
UNDERSTAND YOU ARE WORKING WITH DISTORTED COGNITION
A person who believes in a conspiracy theory is likely to fall for many conspiracy theories. For example, Douglas found over the course of her research that subjects who said they believed the late Princess Diana faked her own death were twice as likely to also say she was murdered by the monarchy, which directly contradicts itself.
According to Douglas, this contradiction exists because of subjects’ internal dissatisfaction with the epistemic information available surrounding Diana’s death.
“So you can explain why people will entertain these contradictory ideas, because both of those ideas are consistent with the underlying idea that there's just something not quite right. So it's not necessarily to say that they will definitely believe that Princess Diana is dead and at the same time believe that she's still alive, but they'll be happy to entertain the idea that those two things are possible, as long as they also entertain the belief that there was just something that wasn't right about those events.”
HOW DO YOU SNAP PEOPLE OUT OF IT?
The hard and fast truth of the matter is that you don’t. In fact, denying the reality or possibility of the conspiracy theory may have the opposite intended effect and make the person cling to their beliefs more tightly. Worse yet, presenting clear facts may not have any effect either. Instead, experts recommend a more hands-off approach.
Psychologist Jovan Byford suggests addressing only the legitimate concerns that are at the root of the conspiracy theory while working minimally to sow doubt into some of a subject’s more outlandish concerns. This is likely to be a long process, he warns, as people get emotionally attached to their conspiracy theories and trying to unravel them in real time could have disastrous consequences. Other experts, such as Hunter College and CUNY Graduate Center Psychology Professor Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, say gentle reflection and questions are the way to go so that your subject starts to pick up on the inconsistencies and untruths themselves. This means that the subject will find their social reward in undoing the conspiracy theory in their own time.
Conspiracy theories are something most people laugh at, but when someone you love is caught up in the stranglehold of widespread false information, it’s anything but funny. Online forums such as Reddit’s r/QAnonCasualties feature testimonials from individuals who have shared how heartbreaking it is to see their loved gripped to falsehoods, which leaves them feeling powerless.
Ultimately, empathy and a determination to help uncover the truth, as all journalists already possess, can help make some headway in getting through to such a person or persons as the effort to unravel citizens from a web of disinformation continues at a time of heightened media distrust.
