Recent empirical and theoretical developments suggest that endorsement of conspiracy theories can arise from the frustration of social motives. Taking this further, the current review integrates theorising on processes relating to three selves—the individual, relational, and collective self and outlines their associations with conspiracy beliefs. In doing so, we argue that motives pertaining to the individual self (e.g., narcissism, need for uniqueness) are linked to belief in conspiracy theories to deflect blame from personal shortcomings and protect the self-image. Motives responding to threats to the relational self (e.g., social exclusion) increase endorsement of conspiracy theories to regain a sense of social support through exchanging shared concerns. Finally, collective self motives (e.g., collective narcissism, perceived ingroup victimhood) foster conspiracy beliefs to defend the group image by blaming outgroups for ingroup misfortunes and placing one's group in a morally superior victim role. Taken together, endorsement of conspiracy theories appears to be borne out of attempts to manage these three selves. Potential consequences for each of the selves, future directions, and theoretical implications are discussed.

中文翻译：

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阴谋信念与个人、关系和集体自我

最近的经验和理论发展表明，对阴谋论的认可可能源于社会动机的受挫。更进一步，当前的评论整合了与三个自我相关的过程的理论——个人、关系和集体自我并概述了他们与阴谋信仰的联系。在这样做时，我们认为与个人自我有关的动机（例如，自恋、对独特性的需求）与阴谋论的信念有关，以转移对个人缺点的指责并保护自我形象。对关系自我的威胁做出反应（例如，社会排斥）的动机增加了对阴谋论的认可，以通过交换共同的关注来重新获得社会支持。最后，集体自我动机（例如，集体自恋、感知内群体的受害者）通过将内群体的不幸归咎于外群体并将其置于道德上优越的受害者角色来培养保护群体形象的阴谋信念。综上所述，对阴谋论的认可似乎是由于试图管理这三个自我。