“I Would Give Anything to Talk about Aliens Now”: QAnon Conspiracy Theories and the Creation of Cognitive Deviance

Abstract

Conspiracy theory researchers observed how the conspiracy theory known as QAnon traveled from dark Web message boards like 4chan to mainstream sources like Facebook, turning everyday people into fervent believers. However, the responses from nonbelievers have been overlooked. We report findings from in-depth interviews with adults (n = 20) who identify as concerned about their family member’s involvement with the QAnon conspiracy theory. Overall, the findings reveal the fundamental basis for nonbelievers’ concern about QAnon. Participants reported epistemic conflicts, out-of-character behavior, broken boundaries, and fears of future actions due to their family member’s involvement in QAnon. The study contributes to the theoretical concept of cognitive deviance by empirically documenting the point at which beliefs become deviant in the eyes of others.