There's a worthwhile read at Vox regarding conspiracy theories.

The dark allure of conspiracy theories, explained by a psychologist
- by Brian Resnik

"Belief in conspiracy theories arises from a combination of anxiety, pessimism, and overreliance on using simple answers to explain complicated problems. And because — occasionally — there truly are conspiracies and bad actors trying to manipulate the world to their advantage, belief in these theories persists.

The theories are a tool by which people can feel more in control, and find explanations in a scary and turbulent world. And yet we’re not all equally susceptible to conspiracies. In the interview that follows, van Prooijen explains why some conspiracy theories take off and why some people are more vulnerable to them, and the evolutionary theory underpinning their ubiquity."

Further:

Brian Resnick

What makes one person more susceptible to conspiracy theories than another?

Jan-Willem van Prooijen

There are a few factors that we have identified.

One of them is education level. Conspiracy theories are more likely among people who are [less] educated. But this doesn’t mean that people who are highly educated are immune.

There’s also effects of political ideology. In our research, we find the more radical a person’s politics [both left- and right-wing], the more likely they are to be conspiracy theorists.