Douglas, likewise, said people were often attracted to conspiracy theories "when one or more" of their "psychological needs are frustrated."
These needs include:
- The need to know the truth and have clarity and certainty.
- The need to feel safe and have some control over things that are happening around us.
- The need to maintain our self-esteem and feel positive about the groups that we belong to.
"Anyone can fall prey to conspiracy theories if they have psychological needs that are not being met at any particular time," she said. "This is perhaps one explanation why we seem to be seeing a lot of conspiracy theories about COVID-19. People are scared and uncertain about the pandemic and are looking for ways to cope with the uncertainty, insecurity, and loss of social contact."