Conspiracy Beliefs Are Related to the Use of Smartphones behind the Wheel.

Pedro M Valero-Mora,Mar Sánchez-García,Juan José Zacarés,María Teresa Tormo-Lancero,Mireia Faus

doi:10.3390/ijerph18157725

Pedro M Valero-Mora, Mar Sánchez-García + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157725

Copy DOI

Abstract

The belief in conspiracy theories predicts behaviors related to public health such as the willingness to receive vaccines. This study applies a similar approach to an aspect of road safety: the use of smartphones while driving. A representative sample of 1706 subjects answered a series of questions related to what can be regarded as erroneous or conspiracy beliefs against restricting or banning the use of smartphones while driving. The results show that those having such conspiracy beliefs reported a greater use of smartphones behind the wheel.

Highlights

Use of Smartphones behind theThe field of research into the belief in conspiracy theories as a social psychological phenomenon is rapidly growing [1]
These two aspects will be analyzed as a function of demographic variables as well as with a regression analysis with latent variables to test whether conspiracy beliefs predict the use of the smartphone behind the wheel
The results shown below suggest two main conclusions: (1) there are small percentages of people—between 3.9% and 11.5%—who agree with individual statements that we have called “conspiranoic beliefs” regarding smartphones at the wheel, but this percentage rises to 30% when we count people that least believe in at one of them, and (2) the latent or inferred variable underlying such conspiranoic beliefs can predict the reported used of the smartphone at the wheel

Summary

Introduction

The field of research into the belief in conspiracy theories as a social psychological phenomenon is rapidly growing [1]. Conspiracy theories can be defined as “explanatory beliefs about a group of actors that collude in secret to reach malevolent goals” [2]. Often associated with conspiracy theories is a lack of confidence in science or scientific results that has been linked to deficiencies in analytical thinking ability [4], statistical thinking biases [5], or the need for “cognitive closure” [6]. One of the most important consequences that belief in conspiracy theories has is the rejection of public health measures such as vaccination [1]. One problem that has many similarities with the rejection of vaccines is the opposition to the road safety measures promoted by the governments of the countries

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion