According To Psychologists, Believing In Conspiracy Theories Is Closely Related To Low Critical Thinking Skills

Illustration of people who believe in conspiracy theories (The Conversation)

JAKARTA- Compared to previous times, the spread of conspiracy theories is increasing day by day. As a netizen from one or several social media, you are also more vulnerable to being exposed to its effects.

Especially under the increasing pressure of the pandemic. Humans, who are now increasingly seeking information through social media, easily believe in these theories.

Thus, the findings of a study published by The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 2020 stated that the conspiracy surrounding the pandemic resulted in the deaths of more than 800 people. Given the current conditions, this number seems to be increasing.

Although some conspiracy theorists believe they are 'free thinkers', recent psychological research suggests otherwise.

Published by the Department of Psychology at the University of Paris Nanterre, the study succeeded in showing a trend between low critical thinking skills which is directly proportional to the higher belief in conspiracy theories.

It is legit to be considered a free thinker, but not a critical thinker

"Conspiracy theory refers to an attempt to explain the root causes of an important phenomenon (social, political, climate, etc.) by devolving a hidden syndicate or evil and powerful organization that plans and executes it secretly", University of Nanterre psychologist Anthony Lantian said in a statement in his scientific journal.

From this research, scientists tested the critical thinking skills of 338 undergraduate students using the French version of the Ennis-Weir critical reasoning test.

Then, the researchers recorded scores of students' level of belief in conspiracy theories as well as an assessment of critical reasoning abilities.

Keep in mind, critical reasoning – objective analysis and evaluation of a situation – requires a certain number of cognitive abilities. Including the ability to digest relevant versus irrelevant information, think systematically, compare different perspectives, recognize and avoid thinking errors.

Not only that, but critical thinking also requires the ability to reach what is already obvious, be aware and avoid bias, and be ready to change your mind if new evidence emerges.

"The more people believe in conspiracy theories, the worse their critical reasoning test results will be", said Eric Dolan via PsyPost. According to Eric, this test aims to have a character with an open ending format and emphasizes several areas of critical reasoning skills in the context of argumentation.

Strengthening Previous Research

If you rely on just one study drawn from data of hundreds of people, it might be hard to believe. However, the findings of the Nanterre University team are in line with findings from a previous study published in the Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology.

In the scientific work entitled 'Why Education Predicts Decreased Belief in Conspiracy Theories', Jan-Willem van Prooijen found that the higher a person's education level, the lower their belief in conspiracy theories, vise versa.

Another study, specially designed by Yale University psychologist Dan Kahan and team, to disentangle information bias in groups by level of understanding, found similar results. Participants who scored the highest in scientific comprehension – which requires critical reasoning skills – also showed independent reasoning or independent thinking.

Based on these findings, Eric Dolan and his team concluded that critical reasoning skills can help individuals to find contradictions – instead of blindly believing in conspiracy theories, as long as they are able to challenge the information provided by the authorities.