On Some Factors Contributing to Belief in Conspiracy Theories

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine some of the factors contributing to belief in conspiracy theories. They have gained considerable popularity among the public in recent years. They react more and more often to several socially significant events taking place around us, while coming up with an alternative explanation, especially for those events that concern a larger number of people. Due to the fast introduction of the Internet and the rapid development in the field of information and communication technologies, systems and means, conspiracy theories are penetrating very significantly especially in the field of mass media and notably in the field of new media. Today, social networks are the medium with the greatest spread of various conspiracy theories. It is one of the primary reasons why conspiracy theories have become the subject of our scientific interest. With the use of relevant methods of qualitative theoretical scientific research, in this work we present our research findings and a look at some selected factors contributing to belief in conspiracy theories to readers from the professional and lay public.

Received: 8 February 2023 / Accepted: 16 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023