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Can attribution theory explain the rise of conspiracy theories and other extreme beliefs on social media?

Niko Rentilll

As a user of social media, I do believe that attribution theory can provide some insight into the rise of conspiracy theories and extreme beliefs on these platforms. Attribution theory is a social psychological theory that helps individuals understand and explain the behavior of others, and importantly, to attribute causality to events or situations. In the context of social media, attribution theory can help explain how individuals attribute meaning and causality to the content they encounter online.

The first way attribution theory may be influential here is through the phenomenon of fundamental attribution error. This occurs when individuals overemphasize dispositional factors when explaining the behavior of others, while underestimating the influence of situational factors. With social media, individuals may be more likely to commit this error by attributing the behavior of those who are spreading conspiracy theories and other extreme beliefs to their deep-seated beliefs, rather than considering the situational factors that may have contributed to the spread of these beliefs.

Another way attribution theory could explain the rise of conspiracy theories is through the actor-observer effect. This is the tendency for individuals to attribute their own behavior to situational factors while attributing the behavior of others to dispositional factors. In the context of social media, this could mean that users who share conspiracy theories believe they are doing so because of external factors such as the media or government conspiracies, while attributing the behavior of others who disagree with them to their own biases.

At the same time, attribution theory may also help explain the growing popularity of conspiracy theories and extreme beliefs on social media. Social identity theory suggests that individuals are motivated to maintain positive self-identity by identifying with a group, and may seek out information that confirms their beliefs and strengthens their group identity. On social media, individuals are more likely to be exposed to echo chambers composed of individuals with similar beliefs, which may provide a platform for these kinds of beliefs to spread and amplify. Attribution theory may help to explain this phenomenon by suggesting that individuals who are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories and other extreme beliefs may be making dispositional attributions about events or situations, which reinforces their cognitive biases.

In conclusion, attribution theory provides a useful framework for understanding the beliefs and behaviors that take place on social media. The rise of conspiracy theories and other extreme beliefs on these platforms can be explained through the fundamental attribution error, actor-observer effect, and social identity theory. While these theories may help broaden our understanding, it is important to also acknowledge the complexity of human behavior and the role that other social, cultural, and technological factors may play in shaping our beliefs and behaviors online.