What Are The Negative Effects of Exposure to Conspiracy Theories?

With the rise of social media, it is not uncommon to stumble upon misinformation about people and events. One form of misinformation overtaking society right now is conspiracy theories, which are theories about the causes of events or phenomena, usually attributing them to secret and nefarious organizations unknown to the public. This type of content relies on incorrect data and can appear to “tie together seemingly unrelated events” (Keeley, 1999). Conspiracy theories can range from being humorous to severe. Some may question the integrity of birds and accuse them of being secret government spies. Others may baselessly claim that entire minority groups are corrupt and harmful to the rest of society. Conspiracy theories like the latter are serious and not to be taken lightly, not just for the subjects being accused, but also for the person being exposed to them due to their effect on the mind. Research has shown that conspiratorial content can have very negative effects on the person viewing it, both mentally and socially (Marchlewska et al., 2024; Van der Linden, 2015; Chayinska et al., 2022). Conspiracy theories can increase paranoid thoughts (Marchlewska et al., 2024), decrease altruistic behavior (Van der Linden, 2015), and decrease illness-preventative behaviors (Chayinska et al., 2022). 

One effect of exposure to conspiracy theories is increased paranoid thinking. In a recent study, Marchlewska et al. investigated the relationship between exposure to conspiracy theories and paranoid thinking (2024). This study used the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs scale to measure the severity of the racially-based conspiracy theories shown to participants, three experimental studies were conducted to establish a relationship between the conspiracy theories and paranoid thoughts (Marchlewska et al., 2024). Participants were asked to rank how much they agreed with different conspiracy theories presented to them. In each study, the results found that exposure to conspiracy theories did increase paranoia, as well as left the participants feeling intense negative emotions (Marchlewska et al., 2024). This outcome can be explained by the nature of harmful conspiracy theories, which often paint the world as a dangerous and scary place. When exposed to these sentiments, people can start to genuinely believe these views about the world, even though they’re false. Exposure to conspiratorial content worsens a person’s mental state, leading them to develop a sense of paranoia ((Marchlewska et al., 2024). Exposure also increases a person’s perception of the world as harmful, thus decreasing their involvement with others (Marchlewska et al., 2024). People might avoid venturing into unfamiliar areas or interacting with strangers due to their belief that the outside world is dangerous. Paranoia can have serious effects on people’s lives, and conspiracy theories that increase these thoughts should be a great cause for concern. 

Although conspiratorial ideas are not rooted in fact, those viewing them may believe they are, which can affect their behavior. A study from 2015 sought to explore the impacts of exposure to climate conspiracy theories on people’s altruistic, or helpful, behavior and belief in science (Van der Linden, 2015). Participants were shown one of two videos: a conspiratorial video about climate change or a positive video about the climate (Van der Linden, 2015). Afterward, participants were given a petition to stop global warming, which they could either sign or not sign (Van der Linden, 2015). The results found that those exposed to the conspiracy video casting doubt on climate change were less likely to engage in altruistic behavior, which was measured by their likelihood of signing the petition (Van der Linden, 2015). What these results show is that exposure to conspiratorial content not only affects thinking, but also outward behavior. Given the opportunity to sign a helpful petition, those exposed to conspiracy content decided not to. Participants exposed to the content also answered that they were not likely to donate to any charity or volunteer at any organization in the coming months (Van der Linden, 2015). This demonstrates that people showed a decrease in altruism overall, not just regarding the topic of climate change. As evidenced by the data, altruistic behavior was not the only thing to decrease, but also trust in science. Not having trust in science is also linked with a decrease in civic engagement, causing people to feel less interested in voting (Van der Linden, 2015). With a decreased trust in science and the effects of climate change, people may act in ways that exasperate climate change because they don’t believe it to be true due to their exposure to conspiratorial content proclaiming as such.

Mistrust in science spurred on by conspiracy theories does not only affect the well-being of the Earth’s systems, but also the well-being of people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories ran rampant on social media platforms, and this was not without consequences. Using a questionnaire, a study from 2021 asked participants from various countries to rank how much they agreed with conspiratorial beliefs about COVID-19, and to give insight into how likely they would be to engage in COVID-19-preventative behaviors (Chayinska et al., 2021). After analyzing the data, it was found that “trust in science was associated with higher willingness to engage in preventive physical distancing…and less willingness to attend public gatherings” (Chayinska et al., 2021). In other words, those who did believe in the conspiracy theories shown were less likely to engage in illness-preventative behavior, like social distancing and avoiding large gatherings. This result was due to participants' “overly optimistic views about the severity of the newly discovered disease as well as about their chances of getting infected” (Chayinska et al., 2021). Exposure to conspiratorial content about COVID-19 can create a heightened sense of optimism in people that does not reflect the seriousness of the illness, leading them to reject illness-preventative measures. Illness-preventative behaviors are crucial to stopping the spread of disease and preventing death, and not taking these precautions seriously can be very harmful. Even though behaviors like these have been scientifically proven to mitigate the spread of illnesses like COVID-19, exposure to conspiracy theories is significant enough to cast doubt on these factually-based assessments. This could potentially lead those exposed to conspiracy theories to ignore health advice, which can cause sickness or even death. 

The characterization of conspiracy theories to be potentially negative is supported by multiple studies. Conspiratorial content has been shown to increase paranoid thoughts by decreasing people’s mental well-being, which in turn contributes to a heightened sense of paranoia. They also decrease helpful and prosocial behavior by discouraging selfless and helpful behaviors. Finally, these theories have been shown to decrease illness-preventative behaviors, putting themselves and others at risk. While it would be unfounded to label all conspiratorial content harmful, the negative effects are still important to consider and be aware of. 

Works Cited

Chayinska, M., Uluğ, Ö. M., Ayanian, A. H., Gratzel, J. C., Brik, T., Kende, A., & McGarty, C. (2022). Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs and distrust of science predict risky public health behaviours through optimistically biased risk perceptions in Ukraine, Turkey, and Germany. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 25(6), 1616-1634. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220978278

Keeley, B. (1999). Of conspiracy theories. Journal of Philosophy, 96(3): 109-26.

Molenda, Z., Marchlewska, M., Karakula, A., Podsiadlowksi, W., Rogoza, M., Bagrowska, P., & Szczepanska, D. (2024). Thought contagion? Conspiracy beliefs boost paranoid thoughts. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 1–18.

https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12577

Van der Linden, S. (2015). The conspiracy-effect: Exposure to conspiracy theories (about global warming) decreases pro-social behavior and science acceptance. Personality and Individual Differences, 87. 171-173

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.07.045