Understanding conspiracy myths better – Backgrounds and countermeasure

The social threat of conspiracy narratives lies in the social division due to different interpretations of reality, which then make a public productive discourse impossible. From an evolutionary perspective, high sensitivity to conspiracies might have helped humans to survive in prehistoric times. From a sociological and psychological perspective, belief in conspiracy theories can be a coping strategy to deal with uncertainty, ambiguity, and loss of control. Behavioral economics can explain the influence of various cognitive biases on the belief in conspiracies such as confirmation bias, optimism bias, truth effect, and overconfidence bias. They can contribute to individuals losing trust in institutions and expert opinions and indulging in filter bubbles of their own reality. That does not imply, that this development should be accepted, but to put even more effort into enlightenment. Filter bubbles and the personalization of social media amplify the problem. Following the analysis of the underlying needs that make belief in conspiracy theories attractive, implications are given at the individual, societal, and political levels that can function as countermeasures. These include, for example, inclusive communication, transparency, information and education, and the provision of credible strategies.