The next time you encounter someone who firmly believes the moon landing was faked or climate change is a hoax, consider this: their stance might be driven less by ignorance and more by spite. Recent research from British universities suggests that conspiracy theories often serve as psychological equalizers, ways for people who feel disadvantaged to symbolically challenge those in power, even at their own expense.
The Spite Connection
Researchers from Staffordshire University and the University of Birmingham suggest that conspiracy theories aren’t just the result of misinformation. The study, published in the Journal of Social Issues, suggests that some people believe in conspiracy theories out of spite that emerges when people feel disadvantaged or threatened.
“Spiteful psychological motives tend to emerge when people feel at a competitive disadvantage, often when we feel uncertain, threatened or undervalued,” explains lead researcher David Gordon from Staffordshire University, in a statement. “Spite is the desire to ‘level the playing field’ by trying to knock someone else down because it feels like there is no other choice. Conspiracy theories can serve as a way for individuals to satisfy this desire through rejecting expert opinion and scientific consensus.”
Spite is behavior that harms both the person being spiteful and their target but changes the competitive balance between them. While it seems counterproductive, spite has historically played a role in society, especially in enforcing cooperation and fairness.
Researchers tested their hypothesis through three studies with over 1,000 participants. Their findings indicated that spite was a significant predictor of conspiracy beliefs, including COVID-19 conspiracy theories.
The first study with 301 UK residents measured spite levels, conspiracy beliefs, and various psychological factors linked to conspiracy thinking. These included feeling threatened by other groups, feeling politically powerless, and discomfort with uncertainty.
A second study with 405 UK residents confirmed these findings. Notably, when uncertainty was the main factor, spite accounted for a substantial portion of the effect, suggesting uncertainty is a strong trigger for spiteful reactions.
Why People Turn to Conspiracy Theories
“We are not suggesting that people consciously choose to be spiteful when believing and spreading conspiracy theories,” explains co-author Megan Birney from the University of Birmingham. “Instead, our findings suggest that feelings of disadvantage can provoke a common psychological – spiteful – response, one that makes individuals more receptive to believing conspiracy theories.”
This research challenges how we view conspiracy theorists. Rather than simply being misinformed, some may be responding to perceived disadvantages in ways that make psychological sense to them. By rejecting mainstream explanations, they attempt to reduce the gap between themselves and those they see as having unfair advantages.
When people lack scientific knowledge, they may feel at a disadvantage because they don’t understand complex phenomena as well as experts. Rather than accept this disadvantage, some individuals reject scientific consensus entirely, claiming climate scientists are conspiring or that medical experts are hiding “the truth” about vaccines. This rejection can create a sense of special knowledge, flipping the perceived power balance.
Similarly, when individuals feel politically powerless, conspiracy theories allow them to reject the legitimacy of powerful institutions. By viewing scientists, governments, or corporations as malevolent conspirators, believers can explain their disadvantage while undermining those they perceive as more powerful.
Previous research identified three main motivations behind conspiracy beliefs: understanding the world, feeling secure, and maintaining a positive self-image. This new study suggests that spite may unify these motives, showing that they are all manifestations of a common response to feeling disadvantaged. This could be addressed through better science communication and media literacy.
What This Means for Society
If spite plays a role in conspiracy beliefs and science denial, addressing these issues requires more than just providing accurate information. It means tackling the underlying feelings of disadvantage.
“If we understand conspiracy beliefs as a manifestation of spite – a reaction to real or perceived social and economic disadvantage – then tackling misinformation is inseparable from addressing broader societal issues such as financial insecurity and inequality,” adds Gordon.
This research could shift how we view conspiracy theorists, from seeing them as simply irrational to understanding that some may be responding to real social pressures. The problem isn’t just individual psychology but also broader issues like inequality, political disenfranchisement, and complex scientific information that is hard for non-experts to understand.