Psychologist’s new book ‘Suspicious Minds’ casts light on the appeal of conspiracy theories

After winning international rave reviews, a Goldsmiths, University of London psychology graduate turned Visiting Fellow’s “sophisticated and absorbing” new book on conspiracy theories has now been immortalised in a Private Eye cartoon.

Think most conspiracy theorists are in their basements, wearing wearing tinfoil hats, gripped by paranoia? Actually, we're all conspiracy theorists - some of us just hide it better than others, argues Dr Rob Brotherton in Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories.

Dr Brotherton is a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Barnard College, Columbia University. He studied for his MSc and PhD here, with both degrees supervised by Professor Chris French.

Published in the journal PLOS ONE in May 2015, Dr Brotherton and Professor French’s recently co-authored research suggests that belief in conspiracy theories is widespread because of an ‘intentionality bias’ built into our brains.

Essentially, conspiracies about mysterious events become popular because many of us can’t help seeking intent behind ambiguous events. As a result, conspiracies appear more plausible than alternative explanations.

Speaking to The Independent, Dr Brotherton explains: “You hear all the time that we're in a golden age of conspiracy theories. People blame the internet or even TV shows like The X-Files. But the research shows that's not true.

"The internet has made it quicker and easier to share theories, but there has always been this background hum of conspiracy. It's a fundamental part of being human.”

Published by Bloomsbury Sigma, Suspicious Minds explores the fascinating and often surprising psychology of conspiracy theories, explaining that they’re not some psychological aberration – they're a predictable product of how brains work. Earlier this month it was reviewed by publications including The Independent, The Psychologist, TIME magazine and The Sunday Times.

Professor Chris French commented: "I'm delighted to see the reception that Rob's book has received from the reviewers. It's a great read and is, to my knowledge, the first popular science book to deal with this fascinating topic. Rob has a very engaging writing style and is able to get across some complex ideas in a reader-friendly manner that makes his book a real pleasure to read."

Rob created and writes for conspiracypsychology.com and tweets from @rob_brotherton.

Suspicious Minds is currently priced at £8.24 in e-book format and £9.34 reduced from £16.99 in hardback from the Bloomsbury website. It's also available from Amazon and all good book stores.

---

“Sophisticated and absorbing … This is a first-class book. It melds science, history and popular culture cleverly and with purpose, and never sneers.” – James McConnachie, The Sunday Times

“Brotherton's writing style is inviting and even cheeky, and the book is a page-turner. A thoughtful, general analysis of conspiracy theories arguing that belief in secret plots is neither new nor unusual but a time-tested part of the human experience.” – Kirkus

“...presents a textured and often surprising look into the fascinating world of conspiracy theories. A world so often described as dark and shady is shown to be much closer to home than we could have first imagined.” – Ella Rhodes, The Psychologist

 

“Clearly written and with liberal use of humor and numerous examples from scholarly research, this title provides a valuable look at why conspiracy theories abound and why we should continually assess our thinking.” – Library Journal

 

Read an extract from Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories