Was Covid-19 a hoax, Moon landing fake? UAE expert digs into conspiracy theories

Confusion, mistrust, and other negative emotions are key components of the allure of such theories

File Photo. Image used for illustrative purposes

Published: Sat 20 Jul 2024, 8:02 AM

Last updated: Sat 20 Jul 2024, 10:42 PM

Ever wondered why some people are convinced that Covid-19 was a hoax or that the Moon landing was faked? Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

According to Jais Adam-Troian, assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, “cognitive, motivational, personality, and mental health factors can increase or decrease belief in conspiracy theories”.

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“Conspiracy theories can be more likely to surface in people who have specific personality traits and cognitive biases. On average, people who believe in pseudoscience, have paranoid or schizotypal symptoms, lower cognitive ability, or are narcissistic are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories,” Adam-Troian told Khaleej Times.

He added: “Conspiracy theories are more accepted in countries with low levels of democracy, high unemployment, and where institutions are perceived as untrustworthy.”

Such beliefs may also make more sense in cultures that are collectivistic and competitive, due to the prevailing social dynamics and worries for reputation and rivalry.

Coping mechanism in times of crisis

Confusion, mistrust, and other negative emotions are key components of the allure of conspiracy theories. “Conspiracy beliefs can serve as a coping mechanism for individuals struggling to regulate their negative emotions, especially in times of crisis,” Adam-Troian observed.

Jais Adam-Troian

“Many people gravitate toward conspiracy explanations because they require a sense of control and understanding in chaotic conditions,” noted Adam-Troian, explaining: “In times of crisis, it is often more comforting to believe that events like a virus, earthquake, or terrorist attack are controlled by malicious forces rather than accepting that such threats can occur randomly and beyond the control of even the most powerful authorities.”

He added: “Conspiracy beliefs decrease trust in authorities and democracy. Conspiracy beliefs about the Covid-19 vaccine are likely to have caused excess mortality from the pandemic, observable primarily among Republicans in the US.”

Undue focus on coincidences

The university professor pointed out conspiracy theories persist due to excessive focus on coincidences. “People who tend to pay undue attention to coincidences are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories.”

While direct evidence linking group identity and conspiracy belief is limited, Adam-Troian said loneliness and feelings of rejection can make individuals more susceptible. “(They) are more attracted to simple, black-and-white narratives such as conspiracy theories.”

Conspiracy theories can cause interpersonal conflict and have an impact on social interactions. On the other hand, “people who believe moderately in conspiracy theories and are not obsessed with them seem to be more socially integrated,” noted Adam-Troian.

Recent tech outage-fuelled theories

After a global tech outage on Friday which saw airline services, card payments, government services, and multinational companies affected, conspiracy theories about the crash being “planned” took off.

Posts on X speculated that the crash was part of a bigger “World War III.” The next global war would take the form of a “cyber war,” according to a user on the social media platform.

Others also believed that the World Economic Forum had plotted this, using as ‘evidence’ an old WEF video that warned about the possibility of a “cyberattack with Covid-like characteristics.” The video had cautioned that the only way to stop this threat would be to disconnect millions of devices from each other and the internet.

“The proliferation of conspiracy theories in the wake of major global events such as the outage is a sad testament to the volatile nature of the information ecosystem,” Rafi Mendelsohn, vice president at the disinformation security company Cyabra, told AFP.

(With inputs from AFP)

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