Fritze Jürgen
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Nervenarzt. 2024 Nov;95(11):998-1004. doi: 10.1007/s00115-024-01740-3. Epub 2024 Sep 13.
Social media facilitate the distribution of conspiracy theories. It is uncertain whether indeed the number of myths and also the number of those who appropriate myths has increased. Conspiracy theories have so far essentially been the subject of sociological and psychosociological research showing a general disposition to become infected irrespective of the topic of a myth. Are there specific psychopathological risk factors for becoming infected by conspiracy myths? Are there effective therapeutic or preventive measures?
A systematic search was carried out in PubMed using the query "conspir*[title] AND review" followed by manual selection and appraisal only of publications addressing conspiracy theories in general, i.e. not limited to specific myths, with a focus on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Moreover, the publications identified were manually screened for further meta-analyses.
The search resulted in 166 hits. The available evidence is essentially based on studies using questionnaires, which can clarify only associations but not causalities. The evidence suggests that the strongest correlates of conspiratorial ideation pertain to low cognitive abilities, nonanalytic style of thought resulting in reduced balancing of probabilities before deciding, feelings of loss of control, paranoia, schizotypy and the dark triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism, authoritarianism).
Specific psychological characteristics are risk factors for conspiratorial ideation. Current research approaches are unsuitable to clarify whether psychiatric disorders are overrepresented. Sociodemographic risk factors include male gender, low level of education, low income, social isolation and are non-specific. Group processes promote, again presumably nonspecifically, conspiracy theories thus contributing to social polarization. The genetic basis and neurobiological mechanisms are unknown. Conspiracy theories were and are used as an instrument of political contention. The enlightened democratic social contract requires free, unbiased thinking. Consequently, the risk factors identified so far facilitate conspiratorial ideation and question the very fundaments of the social contract by impairing unbiased evaluation and decision making. Therefore, prevention is warranted. .
社交媒体助长了阴谋论的传播。目前尚不确定谣言的数量以及轻信谣言的人数是否确实有所增加。到目前为止，阴谋论基本上一直是社会学和心理社会学研究的主题，研究表明，无论谣言的主题是什么，人们普遍都有受到影响的倾向。是否存在感染阴谋论谣言的特定精神病理学风险因素？是否有有效的治疗或预防措施？
在PubMed中进行系统检索，检索词为“conspir*[标题] AND综述”，然后仅人工筛选和评估那些总体上涉及阴谋论（即不限于特定谣言）的出版物，重点是系统评价和荟萃分析。此外，对所识别出的出版物进行人工筛选以进行进一步的荟萃分析。
检索结果有166条记录。现有证据基本上基于使用问卷调查的研究，这些研究只能阐明关联关系，而不能确定因果关系。证据表明，与阴谋论思维联系最紧密的因素包括认知能力低、非分析性思维方式导致决策前对可能性的权衡减少、失控感、偏执、分裂型人格以及黑暗三性格（自恋、马基雅维利主义、专制主义）。
特定的心理特征是阴谋论思维的风险因素。目前的研究方法不适用于阐明精神障碍患者是否在其中占比过高。社会人口统计学风险因素包括男性、低教育水平、低收入、社会孤立，且不具有特异性。群体过程大概也以非特异性的方式助长了阴谋论，从而加剧了社会两极分化。其遗传基础和神经生物学机制尚不清楚。阴谋论一直被用作政治斗争的工具。开明的民主社会契约需要自由、无偏见的思考。因此，目前所确定的风险因素助长了阴谋论思维，并通过损害无偏见的评估和决策对社会契约的根基提出了质疑。所以，有必要进行预防。
