Abstract
The present study was focused on examination of conspiracy beliefs in a specific sample of future teachers. The main aims of the study were to explore whether and to what extent endorse future teachers to conspiracy beliefs, and whether cognitive abilities are related to future teachers’ conspiracy beliefs. In two studies 394 future teachers completed Generic Conspiracist Belief Scale, Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire, Vienna Matrix Test, Rational-Experiential Inventory, Cognitive reflection test, Slovak Conspiracy Belief Scale. Future teachers had mid-point agreements with conspiracy theories (most often: government conspiracy beliefs, information control beliefs and unnecessary prescription of antibiotics beliefs). Students with low conspiracy beliefs were significantly higher in rational thinking style than those high in conspiracy beliefs, and students reading and watching legitimate media believed significantly more in conspiracy theories than those reading and watching tabloids. Benefits of critical thinking courses as a way of reducing conspiracy beliefs are discussed.
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