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15 OPINION about HIV being human-made. Such research underscores the links between conspiracy be- liefs and distrust in powerful figures found in minority com- munities. In a study into how conspir- acy beliefs develop, Greek par- ticipants who thought their country historically suffered more than other nations were more likely to be conspiracy theorists. Research with sim- ilar study designs have found the same results in French and Polish participants. Linked to bullying Our recent research was in- spired by previous work link- ing conspiracy theorising and people's sense they are being victimised. We focused on workplace bullying. Unlike col- lective discrimination, bullying is personal, with a power im- balance between the bully and the victim. Bullied victims report in- creased feelings of anxiety and paranoia. Being bullied seems to increase the risk of believing in a conspiracy theory. We carried out two studies. The first study recruited 273 British participants online. We measured participants' past ex- periences of workplace bullying by asking them report whether they experienced a range of in- cidents, such a colleague with- holding information which affects a co-workers' perfor- mance. The more negative acts a participant has suffered, the stronger their tendency to en- gage in conspiracy theorising. Participants who experienced workplace bullying were more likely to report increased para- noia – to wonder what hidden reason another person may have for doing something nice for them. In the second study, 206 Brit- ish participants were asked to imagine they had joined a new work place in the last six months. Half were asked to imagine being bullied in the new workplace (for example being shouted at) or being wel- comed. Those who were asked to imagine about being bullied reported an increased general belief in conspiracy theories. Tackling conspiracy beliefs Our work highlights how conspiracy beliefs can form in response to circumstances that could happen to anyone. When a hostile environment primes us to search for meaning, we may find a conspiracy explana- tion appealing. Research has also started to find solutions to the problem. In 2018 one study found giv- ing people a greater feeling of power reduced the intensity of conspiracy beliefs. Encourag- ing people to think analytical- ly, which prompts deliberate processing of information, also helps curb the emergence of conspiracy beliefs. Developing these skills in adolescents and conspiracy believers is essen- tial. Challenging people's miscon- ceptions about how popular conspiracies are could be ef- fective. For example, one study found giving information to UK parents with anti-vaccine beliefs about other UK parents who did vaccinate their chil- dren reduced conspiracy be- liefs. We do not know what tools will work outside of the lab. Mentorship for bullying vic- tims, which has been shown to help people feel more secure, could be a promising place to start. And considering the dev- astation conspiracy theories can wreak, we can't afford not to try. Daniel Jolley is Assistant Professor in Social Psychology, University of Nottingham Anthony Lantian is Associate Professor in Psychology, Uni- versité Paris Nanterre – Uni- versité Paris Lumières why people believe how to respond Conspiracy theories are defined by psychologists as "explanations for important events that involve secret plots by powerful and malevolent groups" without any basis in fact Conspiracy theories can make feelings of anxiety worse maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 JANUARY 2023