In case you wondered …

… Conspiracy Theories Gain Momentum by Simply Being Contrary - WSJ.com. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

How do we distinguish between critical thinking and nutty conspiracism? Psychologists have repeatedly demonstrated a key feature of conspiracism, namely that people who believe in one type of conspiracy theory are more likely than chance to believe in other unrelated ones. In other words, it's a deep psychological trait, a world view that transcends any given case.

Teach them about Occam's  razor.