People who prefer structured, rule-based explanations may find conspiracy theories appealing because they offer a clear, ordered explanation for events that feel chaotic. New research led by Flinders University has found that understanding how someone processes information can be a strong predictor of whether they are drawn to conspiracy beliefs that can influence vaccine uptake, trust in institutions and responses to emergencies.

Rather than pointing to poor reasoning, the study highlights the role of a thinking style known as "systemizing," a strong drive to identify patterns and make sense of events through consistent rules, in shaping how people interpret complex information.

The study, led by Flinders University's Dr. Neophytos Georgiou, an expert in conspiracy belief research, and published in the journal Cognitive Processing, examined more than 550 people to understand why some individuals show an increased interest in conspiracy explanations.

"People often assume conspiracy beliefs form because someone isn't thinking critically," says Dr. Georgiou from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work.

"But our findings show that for those who prefer systematic structure, conspiracy theories can feel like a highly organized way to understand confusing or unpredictable events."

In the study, the team identified different thinking profiles and found that individuals who strongly liked patterns and structure were more likely to believe conspiracy theories, even when they demonstrated good scientific reasoning skills.

"What stood out is that people who systemize strongly want the world to make sense in a very consistent way," says Dr. Georgiou.

"Conspiracy theories often offer that sense of order. They tie loose ends together. Even when someone has strong reasoning ability, their desire for strict explanations can overshadow their ability to question those beliefs."

The study also found that people with strong systemizing preferences were less flexible when updating their beliefs in response to new evidence.

"In tasks that required participants to revise their views when presented with new information, those with high systemizing tendencies were less likely to shift their perspective. This may help explain why conspiracy beliefs can persist even when contradictory information is available," says Dr. Georgiou.

"It's about the cognitive style someone brings to information. For people who naturally seek structure and predictability, conspiracy theories can be appealing because they feel ordered, logical and consistent for events that feel chaotic," he says.

The study underscores the importance of recognizing diverse thinking styles.

"Our results show that cognitive profiles are highly significant when it comes to understanding why people engage with conspiracy content," says Dr. Georgiou.

The team hopes the findings will guide new approaches to dealing with misinformation.

"Rather than relying only on fact-checking or logic-based interventions, strategies may need to reflect how people prefer to process information," says Dr. Georgiou.

"Conspiracy beliefs meet psychological needs, and if we ignore that, we overlook what actually makes these narratives persuasive."

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