University of Nottingham study links perceived injustice to conspiracy theories

A study conducted by a British research team suggests that life adversities, such as severe illness, financial difficulties, or experiences of violence, do not automatically make individuals susceptible to conspiracy theories. Instead, the impact depends on how an individual perceives these events.

According to lead author Daniel Jolley of the University of Nottingham, conspiracy theories become more attractive when hardships lead people to believe that the world is fundamentally unfair. In such cases, these theories provide a perceived explanation for that injustice. The research, published in the ‘British Journal of Psychology’, involved three studies with over 1,200 participants. While the findings show a link between perceiving the world as unjust due to personal hardships and stronger conspiracy thinking, the researchers noted that the analysis does not establish a direct causal relationship.