Key points

Conspiracy theories are explanations that attribute the true cause of a major event to secret, sinister plots by powerful agents or groups.

Research shows that narcissists are more likely than the average person to find conspiracy theories appealing.

Paranoia, gullibility, a need for dominance and uniqueness, and collective narcissism may explain why narcissists are drawn to conspiracy theories.

A recent paper by Cichocka and colleagues—from the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, and the Universities of Kent and Cambridge, UK—examines why narcissists are drawn to conspiracy theories.

The paper will be published in the October issue of Current Opinion in Psychology and is summarized below. But first, I’ll define conspiracy theories and narcissism.

WhatAreConspiracyTheories?

A conspiracy is a secret plan to do something bad or harmful. The goal of conspiracies is usually to “usurp political or economic power, violate rights, encroach on existing agreements, withhold vital secrets, or change fundamental institutions.”

What are conspiracy theories? Conspiracy theories are alternative explanations that attribute the true cause of a major sociopolitical event to secret, malicious plots orchestrated by supposedly powerful agents or groups (e.g., Jews, government, corporations, wealthy elites).

There are conspiracy theories about many things: vaccinations, the moon landing, climate change, the September 11 attacks, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, etc.

Note that conspiracy theories are not always wrong (e.g., the Watergate scandal). Belief in conspiracy theories can be adaptive.

But more often than not, conspiracy theories are wrong. Major conspiracies often fail or are exposed sooner or later.

What does narcissism mean?

Narcissism refers to an inflated self-esteem. Narcissism is associated with feelings of superiority and arrogance, altruistic tendencies, a sense of entitlement, manipulation, self-promotional behavior, and aggression toward rivals.

Although many people believe in conspiracies, research suggests that narcissists are particularly prone to believing in them, just as they are prone to believing in other bizarre or irrational phenomena. Cichocka et al. note, “Overall, meta-analytic effects ranging from r = 0.22 to r = 0.26 indicate that narcissism is one of the best psychological predictors of conspiracy beliefs.”

The authors argue that three basic aspects of narcissism are linked, through different processes, to conspiracy beliefs.

These three aspects of narcissism are (see Figure 1):

Actual Openness: Associated with assertiveness, self-confidence, attractiveness, and reward seeking. This is how narcissists try to gain the admiration of others.
Hostility: Associated with arrogance, cruelty, dishonesty, distrust, exploitation, and entitlement. This is how narcissists defend themselves against threats and compete with rivals. Neuroticism: Associated with the experience of shyness, low self-esteem, negative emotions, and relationship difficulties.

The Relationship Between Narcissism and Conspiracy Beliefs

Paranoia, the Need for Dominance, the Desire for Uniqueness, and Gullibility

Compared to the average person, narcissists—and people with other dark personality traits, such as psychopathy and Machiavellianism—tend to have higher levels of paranoia.

Narcissists often assume that others are “out to get them.” It is perhaps these paranoid perceptions of threats to the self that lead to beliefs about conspiracies and threats to society.

The need for control and dominance, along with the expectation of defeat, is also linked to belief in conspiracies.

After all, for people with a strong need for control and dominance, blaming and blaming others is easier than accepting defeat.

The need for uniqueness, which is typically associated with the extroverted aspects of grandiose narcissism, may also increase the likelihood of believing in conspiracies. Why? The ability to see through the “smokescreens that hide the amazing truth” can give narcissists “a sense of being special, of being one of the few people who sees the truth.”

Another factor is gullibility: Despite their overconfidence, narcissists can be extremely gullible and naive. This may be partly because they tend to follow their gut feelings rather than intentionally.

This over-reliance on feelings and intuition may also explain why narcissists tend to embrace strange and unusual beliefs, such as belief in astrology or conspiracy theories.

collective narcissism

Some research suggests that conspiracy theories appeal to those who score higher on collective narcissism—the tendency to make unrealistically positive assumptions about the group.

The association between collective narcissism and conspiracy theories, according to the authors, “may be explained by the exaggerated intergroup threat sensitivity of collective narcissists, similar to the threat sensitivity of individual narcissists.”

In addition, people who assume that their group (e.g., a country) deserves special treatment may feel compelled to deny national shortcomings and blame any failures on external agents (e.g., other countries) conspiring against them.

Furthermore, “the drive to regain personal control reinforces the association between collective narcissism and external conspiracy beliefs, reflecting the role of control and dominance motives in individual narcissism.”

NarcissisticLeaders

Let me discuss why narcissists’ interest in conspiracy theories is so concerning:

Compared to the average person, narcissists are more successful at rising to positions of power, including getting elected leaders (a phenomenon that has been observed even among narcissistic children). Political leaders, especially populists and authoritarians, tend to have high levels of narcissism.