“A community of unknowledge”: A Social-Psychological Model of the Self-Reinforcing Cycle of Social Identity-Driven Willful Ignorance and Conspiracy Beliefs

This paper explores willful ignorance as a socially motivated, group-basedphenomenon closely tied to conspiracy beliefs. While prior research has emphasizedindividual motives, we highlight how groups actively ignore dissonant information toprotect identity, cohesion, and status. Drawing on organizational, socio-political, andhistorical contexts, we show how both powerful and marginalized groups use willfulignorance to sustain conspiratorial narratives that affirm their worldview and deflectmoral accountability. We propose a four-dimensional model - based on valence andgroup orientation - that explains how symbolic and realistic motivations drive selectiveignorance. This framework offers a new lens for understanding how identity and powerdynamics shape belief persistence, with broad implications for addressing polarization,misinformation, and collective decision-making.