While it may seem like more people believe conspiracy theories today, psychologists and historians tell us these beliefs have a long history, both in the U.S. and around the world. Surveys show most Americans believe at least one conspiracy theory; comparisons to older polls show the level of belief in conspiracy theories hasn’t changed in decades. 

Often, these alternative explanations and theories emerge and spread in times of uncertainty and change, when people try to make sense of events that shake up their world view. 

At its simplest, a conspiracy theory is an unproven explanation for an event that is not accepted as true or supported by the available facts. Some suggest conclusions that are hard to disprove – secret government knowledge of extraterrestrials, for example – while others are bizarre and easy to debunk, like the idea that world leaders are hiding the fact that the world is flat. 

Psychologists tell us that we often choose what we believe not because of facts or evidence but because of how these beliefs make us feel, and how they fit into our ideas of how the world works. 

Human beings hate not knowing what’s going on. Experts who study human cognition say human beings have a basic drive to understand their world. 

For hundreds of thousands of years, we’ve used the clues and pieces of information they see and hear to make sense of our environment, to stay out of danger, and to make decisions for our families and our future. 

When we don’t understand something in our environment, or encounter information that suggests a threat, it can trigger anxiety and a need to fill in the blanks. Often, we tell ourselves stories to connect the dots in order to assimilate this new information in a way that makes sense to us and makes us feel safe and in control. 

Conspiracy theories can help people like they understand a changing or complicated world. That may be one reason why belief in them seems to pick up during times of social, economic or technological change. They can also help a person feel more informed and therefore more powerful than others, and help to justify a person’s political views, or their rejection of expert information. 

Conspiracy theories often reflect social tensions. Fears about 5G wireless towers or vaccines containing microchips, for example, reflect* questions about the pace of technology. 

Conspiracy theories about the coronavirus came during a particularly stressful time of uncertainty, when the whole world faced a new and deadly threat. Conspiracy theories about recent elections erupted amid increased political polarization and distrust of government institutions and the media. 

These theories can also express underlying racial, religious or ethnic conflict. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories have flourished for centuries, and early in America’s history hoaxes about immigrants, Catholics, Jews or Blacks gave an outlet to racist fears. 

And they’re frequently political, taken up by one side of a polarized electorate or another when the facts don’t back up their beliefs. 

Overall, most of us believe at least one conspiracy theory. A study from 2021 showed that if someone believes one conspiracy theory, they’re more likely to believe a second or a third, even if those conspiracy theories sometimes contradict each other. 

When it comes to which conspiracy theories are the most popular, a survey from the University of New Hampshire found that unproven claims that Princess Diana was murdered is among the most popular, followed by claims that the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were an inside job, or that the JFK’s assassination involved a government coverup. 

Researchers have long noticed partisan differences in conspiracy theory belief. 

In general, conservatives are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. But Democrats are more likely to believe in some certain theories, including ones suggesting Russian leaders rigged the 2016 election to give victory to Trump. Republicans, on the other hand, are more likely to believe the coronavirus was leaked from a lab, that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and that vaccines contain microchips. 

Republicans are also more likely to believe in QAnon, the bizarre and baseless theory suggesting a Satanic cabal of demon-worshiping, child-sacrificing vampires secretly runs world events. 

Despite the headlines about QAnon, overall belief in conspiracy theories hasn’t changed in decades, researchers have found. 

So what’s different now, that’s made conspiracy theories so much more visible? 

Two things, say historians and experts who study them. 

The first is the internet, which has forever changed the way people communicate and created online communities for conspiracy theorists to gather and share information. 

Once, conspiracy theorists had to rely on conventions, crude pamphlets and late-night radio shows. Now, the internet has given them a forum to spread their beliefs further and faster than ever.  

Today’s fragmented media ecosystem, meanwhile, can make it harder for many people to know which sources of information to trust, and some websites, cable channels and podcasters have embraced conspiracy theories as a way to attract an audience, regardless of the facts. 

The other difference is the role played by politicians and political parties willing to exploit misinformation and conspiracy theories to grow their power. 

Trump and other Republicans have amplified conspiracy theories not only about election integrity but also about a nefarious ‘deep state’ working to subvert democracy, as well as climate change, vaccines and the coronavirus pandemic. 

It’s not just Republicans, however, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s false claims about vaccines show that some Democrats are willing to spread misleading and dangerous claims too. 

Experts note that there’s nothing necessarily wrong with believing in conspiracy theories. 

These beliefs can become a problem, however, when they interfere with a person’s relationships, their job or their happiness. 

It’s also a concern when politicians or others exploit beliefs in conspiracy theories or urge people to engage in racism, hate speech or violence. 

Given the internet, today’s political polarization and basic human psychology, conspiracy theories aren’t likely going away any time soon. 

That’s one reason why experts suggest treating conspiracy theorists with empathy and kindness. Instead of ridiculing their beliefs, ask questions about where they get their information and why they believe what they believe. And remember that you too probably believe something you can’t prove.