Accounts of conspiracy beliefs within the general population: A Grounded Theory

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Accounts of conspiracy beliefs within the general
population A Grounded Theory

• Louise McCusker
• Clinical Psychologist

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Background

• If sanity and insanity exist, how shall we know
  them? Rosenhan (1973)
• Romme Escher (1989) prevalence of voice
  hearers within the general population

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Background

• If the line between sanity and madness is not as
  clear-cut as psychiatric labels imply, why is it
  that some people receive diagnoses such as
  schizophrenia whilst others negotiate identities
  as eccentrics?

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Delusions

• A false belief based on an incorrect inference
  about external reality that is firmly sustained
  despite what almost everyone else believes and
  despite what constitutes incontrovertible proof
  or evidence to the contrary. The belief is not
  one ordinarily accepted by other members of the
  persons culture or subculture (APA, 1994)

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Who decides?

• The person?
• Mental health services?
• Friends or family of the person?

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Investigation aims

• To explore accounts of people who endorse
  minority reality claims in the general population
  
• To explore understandings of the social and
  personal negotiation of claims in a non-clinical
  sample in order to elucidate understandings of
  the boundaries between sanity and insanity

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Method

• Interviews lasting 60-90 minutes
• Interviews conducted in pairs
• Semi-structured interview schedule
• PDI
• Ethics approval

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Recruitment
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Participants

• Overview of claims

Interview number Name Recruitment method Gender Age
1 Adam Newspaper Male 61-65
2 Roshan Social network Male 26-30
3 Liam Online forum Male 51-55
4 Glyn Discussion group Male 46-50
5 Paul Discussion group Male 51-55
6 Glyn Discussion group Male 46-50
7 Tom Discussion group Male 41-45
8 Peter Social network Male 46-50
9 Megan Discussion group Female 66-70
Interview number Name Relationship to belief holder participant Gender Age
1 Sarah Family member Female 36-40
2 Matteo Friend Male 26-30
3 Alice Partner Female 31-35
4 John Friend Male 21-25
5 Jane Friend Female 41-45
6 Aaron Family member Male 21-25
7 Olga Partner Female Missing
8 Sue Partner Female 31-35
9 Jack Friend Male Missing

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Minority reality claims
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Analysis
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Peters et al. (2004) Delusion Inventory
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PDI (Peters et al., 2004)

• The present sample scored lower on all factors
  when compared with the deluded sample in Peters
  et al.s (2004) research.
• The exception to this pattern is Megan who scored
  comparably with Peters et al. (2004) deluded
  sample on total score and conviction but lower on
  distress and preoccupation.
• Difficulties with questionnaire

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Grounded Theory
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Core category 1 Discovering and managing a new
world
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Core category 2 Experiencing and negotiating
claims with others
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Core category 1 Discovering and managing a new
world
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The world is not what it seems

•  Glyn(BH) I looked and it was impossible, it
  was the emperors new clothes, the king was
  naked, it was obvious that it was impossible
  (Glyn and John 44-48)
• Tom(BH) I soon twigged that the people behind
  9/11, not just behind it but also helping with
  the cover-up ltLouise mmmgt uh, which is mainly
  the job of the US government, um, these people,
  theyre all connected in with the media as well
  and its all a big club, you know? (Tom and Olga
  125-129)

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The world is not what it seems

• Roshan(BH)Im alwayssuspicious of an agenda
  (.) what, Im being told.what am I not being
  told. So I guess that, um, opens up possibilities
  to (.) let the imagination run free ltLouise mmmgt
  and um, yeah, you know, I guess joining bits of
  information together and a combination of logic
  or imagination or whatever it might be (Roshan
  and Matteo 30-35)

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Questioning and searching for the truth

• Jane(FFMP) as long as I can prove it to myself
  then Im fine, I dont need other people involved
  (Paul and Jane 672-673)
• Megan(BH) its not that I need confirmation
  from other people ltLouise mmmgt whove done
  researchIve dowsed using a pendulum to gather
  unknown information all, a lot of information
  myselfand thats how Ive found out quite a lot
  of um, um truth and lies ltLouise mmmgt (laughs)
  and that to me is the best thing and the majority
  of my knowledge has come from my own higher self
  ltLouise yeah, yeahgt and I just find I cant deny
  that (Megan and Jack 1316-1325)

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Questioning and searching for the truth

• Jack(BH) I know aliens exist, Ive actually met
  one ltLouise mmmgt Ive been in that situation so
  I know you can say what you like, youve only
  been told, Ive experienced it (Megan and Jack
  808-810)

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Emotional impact of new knowledge

• Olga(FFMP) I became immediately very conscious
  that I am, my worldview is (.) going to be
  targeted ltLouise yeahgt that my worldview is not
  the right onein direct contrast and conflict
  ltLouise yeahgt and that I was gonna, be
  persecuted by the government really quickly
  ltLouise mmmgt and I just sort of thought for a
  little bit, I had a real panic stations (Tom and
  Olga 609-614)

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Emotional impact of new knowledge

• Tom(BH) then I probably hit about two months of
  depression ltLouise mmmgt because, I was totally
  new to this so I thought no ones going to
  believe me, you know ltLouise mmmgt if I talk to
  my friends and family, no ones going to believe
  me ltLouise mmmgt and it really ate me up because
  I thought, people have got to know about this
  (Tom and Olga 313-318)

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Emotional impact of new knowledge

• Olga(FFMP) I had a real panic stations ltLouise
  mmm, mmmgtI felt compelled to tell people
  ltLouise yeahgt to such an extent that I actually,
  I actually one day um, stood up in the tube to
  tell peopleand I told them that there is a
  police state and, and the war on terror is fake
  (Tom and Olga 614-621)

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Storying ideas and integrating claims into
selfhood

• Paul(BH) I was also brought up in a traditional
  Christian household where mystical stuff is
  naturally part of life ltLouise rightgt its the
  way my mum and dad brought me up with Jesus and
  miracles and turning water into wine (Paul and
  Jane 603-606)

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Core category 2 Experiencing and negotiating
claims with others
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Desire to share vs. desire for inclusion

• Alice(FFMP) they have this, um, hostility about
  it, they just reject you as a person ltLouise
  rightgt so you just become a blank space, they
  wont listen to anything you say, they wont
  discuss anything with you, they dont really want
  to be your friend(Liam and Alice 485-488)
• Glyn(BH) they walk away and you know, kind of,
  dont bother me, like a madman, like, like the
  crazy man on the train (Glyn and John 374-376)

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Desire to share vs. desire for inclusion

• Glyn(BH) it just comes out, its like
  Tourettes! (laughter) ltLouise yeahgt it is, its
  like, uh, conspiracy Tourettes ltLouise mmmgt I
  cant stop it, I just feel if theres a context
  in which theres an issue being raised ltLouise
  mmmgt I have to, it just comes up (Glyn and Aaron
  826-830)

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Testing claims with others

• Adam (BH) societys been programmed to look at
  it as a joke or you know, dismiss it, its,
  itslike control ltLouise mmmgt mind control
  almost (Adam and Sarah 783-785)

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Testing claims with others

• Liam(BH) I think you take a baby step and sort
  of ask ltLouise mhmmgt get a feel for someones
  inclination (Liam and Alice 307-308)
• Adam(BH) he a friend doesnt go into it
  discussions about aliens in any depth so I just
  leave it, you know ltLouise mmm, mmmgt if people
  arent interested, its up to them isnt it (Adam
  and Sarah 648-650)

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Deciding not to share

• Sue(FFMP) no its, I dont speak to anyone about
  it really, because maybe I dont have the
  understanding, I would feel self-conscious doing
  it because I dont have the understanding (Peter
  and Sue 587-589)

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Experiencing scepticism and acceptance from close
others

• Jane(FFMP) no I mean we dont, we have enough
  respect for each other that you know, Id never
  dismiss anything Paul says (Paul and Jane
  951-952)
• Olga(FFMP) I mean my, my family I always
  thought they were really open minded but theyre
  not actually that open minded and they just,
  yeah, they, they think its a, a horrible
  worldview ltLouise rightgt that you cant think
  like that, you cant live like that (Tom and
  Olga 951-955)

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Seeking and meeting likeminded others

• Liam(BH) yeah, I think that, Im a, a involved
  in an organisationthat discusses these kinds of
  things, so, its nice to have an opportunity and,
  and people come together who have these ideas
  because sometimes its unsociable to discuss them
  in general context (Liam and Alice 269-273)

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The intra- and inter-personal experience and
negotiation of minority reality claims A
grounded theory
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Discussion

• Clinical implications
• Self-narrating claims
• Understanding why others have a different
  perspective
• Meeting likeminded others
• Mindfulness-based approaches?

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Questions?