The Effects of conspiracy theory spread by leaders during times of war: The role of gender on follower perceptions of leader effectiveness and warmth

Abstract

This paper investigates whether the spread of conspiracy theories by leaders during times of war has an effect on perceived leader effectiveness and warmth by followers additionally takes into account the role of gender in this exchange. Analysis demonstrates that the gender of the leader had no significant effect on followers’ perceived effectiveness or warmth in all the conditions. Furthermore, conspiracy spread did not have a significant interaction with perceived effectiveness, however, conspiracy-spreading leaders were perceived as less warm compared to neutral leaders. The results led to the conclusion that based on our sample taken from the Armenian population, the leader’s gender does not play a role in perceived effectiveness when delivering bad news during times of crisis.