Conspiracy Theories and Anxiety in Culture: Why is Threat-Related Misinformation an Evolved Product of Our Ability to Mobilize Sources in the Face of Un-represented Threat?

Abstract

This paper argues that the allure of conspiracy theories lies in their evolutionary origins, specifically in our capacity to communicate unrepresented threats. Drawing on threat-detection psychology and error management theory, it posits that these theories serve as adaptive responses to perceived threats and social coalition-building, rather than as flaws in reasoning.