Big Think 3 biases fueling belief in conspiracy theories | Brian Klaas
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May 17, 2025 
Brian Klaas, an Associate Professor in Global Politics at University College London and contributing writer for The Atlantic, delves into the psychology behind conspiracy theories. He discusses how our brains are wired to find patterns, leading us to favor exciting narratives over mundane explanations. Klaas highlights the emotional toll these beliefs take on relationships and emphasizes how cognitive biases distort our interpretation of events. He warns about the internet's role in amplifying misinformation and the urgent need to restore a shared sense of truth in society.
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Brain Wired for Patterns
- Humans are wired to see patterns and reject randomness or trivial explanations.
- This predisposes us to believe in elaborate conspiracy stories that give neat, dramatic causes.
Narrative Bias Drives Belief
- Our brains crave stories with clear cause and effect, making conspiracy theories very appealing.
- These theories promise membership in a group that 'understands the real truth.'
Magnitude Bias and Contradictions
- Magnitude bias makes us expect big events to have big causes, rejecting simple explanations.
- Conspiracy believers accept contradictory ideas rather than mundane truths.
