Covid-19: the psychology of conspiracy theories

Guardian Podcast
Science Weekly -Psychology
Presented by Ian Sample and produced by David Waters and Madeleine Finlay
Tue 5 May 2020 05.00 BST
See https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2020/may/05/covid-19-the-psychology-of-conspiracy-theories

[Music]
Intro: The Guardian

Welcome to Science weekly.

We're following the Covid-19 outbreak and

exploring some of the scientific questions
that have come out of it.

In today's episode, we are looking
at some of the conspiracy theories:

>> Now, many people are getting
their information about coronavirus

through social media.

But not everything that's shared online
can be trusted.

>> 5G messed on fire >> It's the 5G!
>> Yeah!

>> It lowers your immunity
and runs people down!

>> The corona virus pandemic is opening
weird new horizons

for online conspiracy theorists.

>> The virus was bio-engineered in a lab
by scientists, to be used as a weapon

or a form of population control.

>> Hi guys, do you know
what you're doing now?

You're laying 5G. >> Yes.
>> So you know that kills people?

It absorbs oxygen.
>> That's just nonsense!

Dangerous nonsense as well.

>> 5G was a favorite target
of conspiracy theories,

long before the new corona virus appeared.

Now the myth is just being tweaked a bit.

>> It's not merely an opinion
or an interesting conspiracy,

It's just bullocks.

>> So what is it about conspiracy theories
that makes them so appealing

in a time of crisis?

And how can we best combat them?

I'm Ian Sample, the science editor
of The Guardian

and this is Science Weekly.

>> I'm Dr Daniel Jolley.

I'm a senior lecturer in psychology
based at Northumberland University

In Newcastle in the UK and my expertise is
in the psychology of conspiracy theories.

IS Hi Dan, how are you doing?

DJ I'm doing very well,
thanks so much for having me here.

IS So Dan, let's start with the basics:

what is a conspiracy theory,
as opposed to misinformation, say?

DJ So the whole difference
with a conspiracy theory is the idea

that there is a powerful group plotting
something secret for their own gain,

that something can just be fake, that
there is no hidden motive behind it.

I mean there is a cardinal difference:

it's pointing the finger
at a group of people

and blaming them for their wrongdoings:
blaming them for the virus, for example.

IS What is it about conspiracy theories,
generally,

that makes them so appealing to us?

DJ Well, conspiracy theories in general
have been shown to rise

in moments of crisis, when we have a need
to fill in control, to feel certain.

And the need kind of rapid crisis is (?)
we feel threatened,

we feel unsure what is happening,

which is exactly what is happening
with Covid-19

IS I always thought that believing
in conspiracy theories

would make people feel more anxious,
but it sounds like, actually,

they have the opposite effect.

DJ Well, it's a really interesting
point there.

People who have this need to be in control (?)

the influence on them may actually
just be quite temporal.

They may seem appealing,
but they're not satisfying.

Covid has shown that people who are
exposed to conspiracy theories

actually have further mistrust
of those around them.

It actually increases their feeling
of anxiety.

Often it is because if you don't subscribe
to one conspiracy belief,

you then start questioning other things,

which means its kind of ramping up
your mistrust,

and you kind of feel a feeling of
uncertainty of you living in your society. 3:28