Conspiracy Theories, Quantum Social Science, and the Political Power of Irrelevant Beliefs

ABSTRACT Objectives Recent psychological research into conspiracy theories (CTs) has explored the possible relationships between antecedents or predisposed mindsets as explanations of increased rates of CT belief and tested the increased susceptibility to cognitive fallacies among CT believers. This literature provides an interesting set of social‐psychological insights for the analysis of the political significance of CTs. What has received less direct attention from political scientists is the role of how apparently politically irrelevant CTs impact political discourse. Methods This study uses a digital ethnography and media scan to apply quantum cognition theory to the invocation of CTs in politically‐relevant scenarios. Results The article argues that politically irrelevant CTs can be politically powerful through their impact on future cognitive processes. Conclusion Future research at the intersection of quantum social science and the study of CTs may provide new analytical tools and theoretical approaches.