People Who Believe in Conspiracy Theories Process Information Differently at the Neural Level

hubie writes:

People who believe in conspiracy theories process information differently at the neural level:

A new brain imaging study published in Scientific Reports provides evidence that conspiracy beliefs are linked to distinct patterns of brain activity when people evaluate information. The research indicates that people who score high on conspiracy belief scales tend to engage different cognitive systems when reading conspiracy-related statements compared to factual ones. These individuals relied more heavily on regions associated with subjective value and belief uncertainty.

"Our motivation for this study came from a striking gap in the literature. While conspiracy theories have a profound impact on society-from shaping political engagement to influencing health decisions-we still know very little about how the brain processes such beliefs," said study author Shuguang Zhao of the Research Center of Journalism and Social Development at Renmin University of China.

"Previous research has focused on general belief processing, but the specific neural mechanisms that sustain conspiracy thinking remained unclear. The COVID-19 pandemic made this gap even more urgent. During this global crisis, conspiracy theories about the virus-whether it was deliberately created, or that vaccines were part of hidden agendas-spread rapidly across digital platforms."

"Such crises tend to heighten uncertainty and fear, creating fertile ground for conspiracy narratives," Zhao continued. "Observing how these beliefs flourished in real time underscored the importance of understanding not just what people believe, but how their brains evaluate and sustain these beliefs when confronted with threatening or ambiguous information."

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