So, you love patterns; that doesn’t make the Earth flat.
They say conspiracy theorists are simply crazy. Because who could possibly believe that there are bigger plots behind the supposed randomness of world events? That billionaires are able to pull strings us little worker bees couldn’t even imagine?
And maybe this narrative is actually part of the conspiracy, designed to keep the truth seekers at bay and the cogs of the evil machine turning.
Or maybe this back page scribe is just undiagnosed.
Reading a new study, published in Cognitive Processingearlier this year, genuinely had this author wondering. But hey, who can afford to get diagnosed now anyway?
The research found that conspiracy theories may be more attractive to those with autistic traits, as they offer ordered explanations for the chaos of life.
Did anyone else read that and find it made perfect sense?
Of the 412 participants across the US, UK and Europe, people who preferred structured, rule-based explanations were more likely to be drawn to conspiracy beliefs.
All participants were assessed using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, Scientific Reasoning Scale, Systemising Quotient and Generic Conspiracy Belief Scale.
Of the 31 participants who scored within the clinical range of possible autistic traits, only nine had a formal autism spectrum disorder diagnosis.
Researchers were able to group the participants into four classes:
Class one – low autistic traits, strong reasoning and low conspiracy belief
This was the strongest cognitive-performing group. They reasoned well, integrated evidence effectively and were least likely to endorse conspiracy theories.
Class two – low autistic traits, slightly weaker reasoning and low conspiracy belief
Very similar to the first class, but with somewhat weaker reasoning skills. However, they still did not endorse conspiracy beliefs.
Class three – higher autistic traits, high systemising, good reasoning and higher conspiracy belief
They performed reasonably well on scientific reasoning tasks, strongly systemised (e.g, pattern-seeking, rule-based thinking) and showed elevated conspiracy belief.
Class four – highest autistic traits, weakest reasoning and highest conspiracy belief
Unlike class three, where strong systemising coexisted with good reasoning, this group showed elevated autistic traits with weaker evidence integration.
While class four fit the traditional idea that low reasoning was synonymous with conspiracy theories, class three contradicted that model. These people were measurably reasonable yet were still drawn to conspiracies; why?
In the words of some of this scribbler’s neurodivergent friends (and okay, fine, one or two mental health professionals over the years), it may be “a touch of the ’tism”.
Conspiracy theorists may simply have fixated interests and less flexible thinking than most non-subscribers.
The researchers concluded that how someone processes information could be a strong predictor of whether they are drawn to conspiracy beliefs, for example, the kind that can influence vaccine uptake and trust in institutions.
The good news is this author managed to avoid the medical scepticism.
The bad news is I still have absolutely no idea how to convince theorists that vaccines are safe.
Send your best theories, story tips and recommendations for a cheap ASD diagnosis to holly@medicalrepublic.com.au.
