Conspiracy theories flourish during rapid social change and identity reevaluation.
Evidence
Conspiracy theories tend to flourish especially at times of rapid social change, when we’re reevaluating ourselves and, perhaps, facing uncomfortable questions in the process. In 1980, the civil liberties lawyer and author Frank Donner wrote that conspiracism reveals a fundamental insecurity about who Americans want to be versus who we are. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 53
Categorization
- QUESTION: Why does rapid change trigger conspiracy rather than other responses? What is the mechanism linking change to conspiracy belief?
- XREF: Reinforces the vault’s claim that threat and social change drive prejudice and authoritarianism, linking conspiracy belief to the identity-threat mechanism. — connects to: Moral-panic conspiracy outbreaks surge at moments of social change and perceived fracture — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 280; Conspiracy theory visibility spikes during times of social upheaval — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 107; Conspiracy surges track rigid class structure and felt disenfranchisement — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 33 (+1 more)
Broader Connections
- Conspiracy theory visibility spikes during times of social upheaval
#corroborates(0.92) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 107 - Conspiracy surges track rigid class structure and felt disenfranchisement
#corroborates(0.88) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 33 - Threat and insecurity from structural conditions drive heightened conspiracy thinking
#expands(0.82) — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 56