Conspiratorial Thinking Research Articles

Characterizing medical mistrust (MM) in a socio-demographically diverse sample of patients with cancer.

10551 Background: Genetic and genomic testing are increasingly recognized as essential to high quality cancer care. Despite expanded eligibility for testing in recent years, barriers to genomic medicine persist. Notably, growing political and social mistrust risks negatively impacting views of medical institutions, medical professionals and complex technologies, and could undermine acceptance of genetic/genomic testing to guide treatment and identify risk in families. Prior studies have documented disparities and increased MM of genetic counseling and testing among underserved minorities which have been associated with delays or avoidance to care. We sought to identify individual characteristics associated with MM among cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of cancer pts from the Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) Burholme Campus (n=105, mixed urban/suburban, primarily insured) and Broad street campus (n=95, primarily urban underserved population) was conducted from 6/22-12/22, using a maximum variation (purposeful) sampling approach. Surveys queried MM using the LaVeist MM Index (MMI, range 0-10, measures healthcare/institution MM) and the Thompson Group Based MM Scale (GBMMS, range 1-5, measures race/ethnic specific MM; suspicion, discrimination, and lack of support subscales). Demographic and disease factors, as well as psychosocial measures (general/genetic health literacy, social support, self-advocacy, conspiratorial thinking, relationship with doctor, and trust in information sources) were also assessed. Medical decision making preference and health literacy were assessed with single validated items. The study was approved by the FCCC IRB #22-8003. Results: Participants had a median age of 62 yrs (range 25-91); 62% were female, 47% African American (AA), 15% Hispanic, 42% married, 47% high school graduate or less, 52% had household income <$50K/yr. Breast (28%), colorectal (16%), and GYN/GU (12%) cancers were the most commonly reported, and 23% reported >1 previous cancer diagnosis. Mean GBMMS was 2.11 (SD 0.80) and mean MMI was 4.63 (SD 1.54). See the table for significant associations. Conclusions: High levels of healthcare institution and race-based MM are associated with socio-demographic vulnerabilities, putting the most vulnerable cancer patients at high risk of making poor health decisions. [Table: see text]

On modeling the correlates of conspiracy thinking

While a robust literature on the psychology of conspiracy theories has identified dozens of characteristics correlated with conspiracy theory beliefs, much less attention has been paid to understanding the generalized predisposition towards interpreting events and circumstances as the product of supposed conspiracies. Using a unique national survey of 2015 U.S. adults from October 2020, we investigate the relationship between this predisposition—conspiracy thinking—and 34 different psychological, political, and social correlates. Using conditional inference tree modeling—a machine learning-based approach designed to facilitate prediction using a flexible modeling methodology—we identify the characteristics that are most useful for orienting individuals along the conspiracy thinking continuum, including (but not limited to): anomie, Manicheanism, support for political violence, a tendency to share false information online, populism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Altogether, psychological characteristics are much more useful in predicting conspiracy thinking than are political and social characteristics, though even our robust set of correlates only partially accounts for variance in conspiracy thinking.

Library workers on the front lines of conspiracy theories in the US: one nationwide survey

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether and in what ways library workers in the United States encountered patrons espousing beliefs in conspiracy theories and, if so, to explore the effectiveness of the strategies they used to address information disorder during the interactions.Design/methodology/approachThe study was designed with an exploratory qualitative approach. Data were collected via an online survey posted to national and state library association listservs, utilizing a self-selected sampling method. Researchers inductively and deductively analyzed results, developing predetermined themes based on the research questions, then iteratively integrating unexpected data during coding.FindingsA total of 334 responses were received over two weeks. Data represent library workers from 43 states and Washington, D.C., including various types of libraries. Library workers interacted with patrons with conspiratorial thinking, and both library workers and patrons evidenced a range of emotions and motivations.Originality/valueThis is the first national study to survey library workers and whether they encountered patrons espousing conspiracy theories. While the sample size is small, themes elucidate various strategies that library workers use for interacting with patrons who express some level of conspiracy ideation.

From Conspiracy Orientation to Conspiracy Attribution: The Effects of Institutional Trust and Demographic Differences

The current post-truth era is characterized by the rapid spread of conspiracy theories which has been exacerbated by public’s lack of agreement on objective facts and presentation of unverified information without supportive evidence. Existing research has examined a myriad of factors which explain the causes of conspiratorial thinking. To extend current research, this study examines the effects of institutional trust and demographic factors (i.e., age, gender, political ideology, household income and education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [STEM]) in explaining conspiracy orientation (i.e., the dispositional tendency to subscribe to different conspiracy theories) and conspiracy attribution (i.e., the situational tendency to subscribe to conspiracy theories about specific problematic situations). A survey dataset ( N = 720) was collected in South Korea. The findings showed that institutional trust had greater effects than STEM education in explaining conspiracy orientation and attribution. On the other hand, different demographic factors had different effects on conspiracy orientation and attribution.

Conspiracy Theory as Individual and Group Behavior: Observations from the Flat Earth International Conference.

Conspiratorial thinking has been with humanity for a long time but has recently grown as a source of societal concern and as a subject of research in the cognitive and social sciences. We propose a three-tiered framework for the study of conspiracy theories: (1) cognitive processes, (2) the individual, and (3) social processes and communities of knowledge. At the level of cognitive processes, we identify explanatory coherence and faulty belief updating as critical ideas. At the level of the community of knowledge, we explore how conspiracy communities facilitate false belief by promoting a contagious sense of understanding, and how community norms catalyze the biased assimilation of evidence. We review recent research on conspiracy theories and explain how conspiratorial thinking emerges from the interaction of individual and group processes. As a case study, we describe observations the first author made while attending the Flat Earth International Conference, a meeting of conspiracy theorists who believe the Earth is flat. Rather than treating conspiracy belief as pathological, we take the perspective that is an extreme outcome of common cognitive processes.

Christ, Country, and Conspiracies? Christian Nationalism, Biblical Literalism, and Belief in Conspiracy Theories

AbstractWhen misinformation is rampant, “fake news” is rising, and conspiracy theories are widespread, social scientists have a vested interest in understanding who is most susceptible to these false narratives and why. Recent research suggests Christians are especially susceptible to belief in conspiracy theories in the United States, but scholars have yet to ascertain the role of religiopolitical identities and epistomological approaches, specifically Christian nationalism and biblical literalism, in generalized conspiracy thinking. Because Christian nationalists sense that the nation is under cultural threat and biblical literalism provides an alternative (often anti‐elite) source of information, we predict that both will amplify conspiracy thinking. We find that Christian nationalism and biblical literalism independently predict conspiracy thinking, but that the effect of Christian nationalism increases with literalism. Our results point to the contingent effects of Christian nationalism and the need for the religious variables in understanding conspiracy thinking.

In Brief

Boundary maintenance, intergenerational cohabitation, conspiratorial thinking, and volunteerism in occupied ukraine: A snapshot of new research.

Conspiracy theorists in policing: causes, challenges, and considerations

ABSTRACT There has been little empirical or conceptual work on conspiracy theories within a policing context. This gap is concerning given emerging evidence suggesting that conspiracy beliefs can have significant consequences in several important personal, social, and political dimensions. Some of these consequences may also impact both the operational environment of policing and the police workforce. To address the research gap, this study reviewed research into conspiracy antecedents applicable to police work conditions, the nature of police, and police officers to identify a core set of antecedents which may lead to conspiracy thinking in policing. To account for the often context dependent nature of policing, case studies were drawn from the Australian and New Zealand context, identified using the open-source intelligence (OSINT) method. 12 case studies were ultimately identified as suitable for inclusion. Applying the core set of antecedents to the case studies through content analysis revealed that cynicism related to policing organisations or police work is a key antecedent, alongside the ‘social function’ antecedent where conspiracy theories serve to protect a group from perceived threats. Lastly, to provide practical guidance to police organisations and leadership, the article proposes four possible intervention strategies against conspiracy theories in policing.

Trust in the scientific community and conspiracy thinking in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Trust in the scientific community and conspiracy thinking in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Mediation analysis of conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments on vaccine willingness.

Vaccines are an effective means to reduce the spread of diseases, but they are sometimes met with hesitancy that needs to be understood. In this study, we analyzed data from a large, cross-country survey conducted between June and August 2021 in 43 countries (N = 15,740) to investigate the roles of trust in government and science in shaping vaccine attitudes and willingness to be vaccinated. Despite significant variability between countries, we found that both forms of institutional trust were associated with a higher willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, we found that conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments predicted reduced trust in government and science, respectively, and that trust mediated the relationship between these two constructs and ultimate vaccine attitudes. Although most countries displayed similar relationships between conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments, trust in government and science, and vaccine attitudes, we identified three countries (Brazil, Honduras, and Russia) that demonstrated significantly altered associations between the examined variables in terms of significant random slopes. Cross-country differences suggest that local governments' support for COVID-19 prevention policies can influence populations' vaccine attitudes. These findings provide insight for policymakers to develop interventions aiming to increase trust in the institutions involved in the vaccination process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Nationalism, Conspiracy Theories and Vaccine Mandates: Exploring the Statism Determinants for Attitudes to COVID-19 Control in China.

China's suddenly loosening its COVID-19 controls highlighted its insufficiency in vaccination protection. Mandatory vaccination might be necessary if the gap cannot be filled over a short time. However, few studies have explored how Chinese people view the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, let alone placing such views in the country's highly politicized context. The current study utilizes data from a national survey adopting quota sampling to analyze the Chinese public's medical and non-medical considerations when judging compulsory COVID-19 vaccination (n=1,523). The survey was conducted between 1 and 8 April 2021. All adults aged 18 years and older were eligible to take part. The survey included sociodemographic details, perceived susceptibility to infection, perceived vaccine benefit, attitudes to vaccination policies, nationalism, beliefs in various conspiracy theories and science literacy. Multiple regression analyses were done to examine factors associated with the attitude to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The study reveals that personal risk and benefit perceptions did not dominate the Chinese public's attitude toward vaccination mandates. Instead, nationalism was relatively strongly associated with their willingness to accept mandatory vaccination. Contrary to studies in the West, various conspiracy beliefs and conspiratorial thinking were robustly related to the support for mandatory vacciniation. Science literacy didn't link to the attitude to vaccination mandates. It only had a weak moderating effect on the influence of conspiratorial thinking on attitudes to the vaccination policies. The results indicated that Chinese people's attitude to the COVID-19 vaccination policy is highly politicized and influenced by conspiracy theories. Given the potentially massive impacts of the COVID-19 infection, we need to educate the Chinese public with more medically valuable and relevant information to help them make sound decisions regarding vaccination. Meanwhile, we can adopt nationalistic tones to improve the persuasion effect, but misinformation during the process must be overcome.

Under God and Under Threat: Christian Nationalism and Conspiratorial Thinking as Links between Political Orientation and Gun Ownership

Conservative political orientation is a strong predictor of gun ownership in the United States. We explore the extent to which this relationship is mediated by two related belief systems: Christian nationalism and Right-Wing conspiratorial thinking. Drawing on nationally representative data from the sixth wave of the Baylor Religion Survey (N = 1,248), we use logistic regression and the Karlson-Holm-Breen method to analyze gun ownership, disaggregated by type of gun and reason for ownership. Christian nationalism and conspiratorial thinking underlie political effects on automatic and semi-automatic guns, handguns, and guns owned for protection, especially among non-Hispanic white respondents. Christian nationalism and conspiratorial thinking are less salient to driving political differences in long gun or recreational gun ownership. Findings elucidate the belief-based mechanisms underlying the societally important link between conservative politics and gun ownership, demonstrating how beliefs pattern who owns guns (and why) in the United States.

Editorial—The truth is out there: The psychology of conspiracy theories and how to counter them

Editorial—The truth is out there: The psychology of conspiracy theories and how to counter them

COVID-19 vaccination: Conspiracy theories, demography, ideology, and personality disorders.

To understand the role of personal experience, religious and political beliefs as well as conspiracy theory beliefs on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. Just under 400 adults completed online questionnaires assessing to what extent they endorsed conspiracy theories (CTs) and an evidenced measure of personality disorders (PDs). One month later, they were asked about having the COVID-19 vaccine. We examined the relationship between demographic (age, sex, education), ideology (political and religious beliefs), general beliefs in CTs, PDs and attitudes toward vaccination. We found, as anticipated, conservative political orientation, religiosity, Cluster A PDs, and conspiracy thinking correlated negatively with vaccine acceptance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the group of vaccine accepting individuals differed from the group of individuals either hesitant or resistant to the vaccine with respect to education, personal ideology, general conspiracy theory adherence, and cluster A PDs. Multinomial logistic regression indicates that religiosity, conspiracy thinking, and lower levels of education predict vaccine hesitancy or rejection. Implications for "rolling out" the vaccine are discussed in terms of who to target and how to address misbeliefs about vaccination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The revelations of Q. Dissemination and resonance of the QAnon conspiracy theory among US Evangelical Christians and the role of the Covid-19 crisis

Previous studies show that the QAnon conspiracy theory is especially popular among American evangelical Christians. The paper investigates the reasons behind this relationship. We hypothesize a mediation relationship between evangelical dogma and how it is practiced on the one hand and the susceptibility for conspiracy thinking on the other hand. We argue that evangelicalism due to its biblicism is characterized by the belief that its perception of reality holds absolute truth (nomization), that the world can be clearly divided into good and evil (Manichaeism), and that salvation can be achieved through political means (immanent eschatology). Those beliefs, in turn, in the uncertain times of the Covid crisis resonate with the cognitive (epistemic), the affective (moral), and conative (eschatological) elements of conspiracy theories. Using data of waves 46 (March 2019), 68 (April 2020), and 73 (September 2020) of the American Trends Panel, conducted by the PEW Research Center we show respective mediation effects: Evangelical Christians are particularly convinced that their religion alone holds absolute truth and that religion has not enough influence on politics. The latter also correlates with the conspiracy belief that “powerful people intentionally planned the Covid outbreak”. QAnon support again is linked both to such Covid related conspiracy thinking and the three elements of nomization, Manichaeism, and immanent eschatology.

From Anti-Measure Activism to Anti-State Extremism? The "Querdenker'' Protest-Movement and Its Interrelation ad Dynamics with the 'Reichsburger' in Germany and Austria

Like most other countries Germany and Austria attempted to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by taking unprecedented measures restricting public and private life. Discontent with these measures arose, and a network of groups and individuals calling themselves “Querdenker” established themselves as a major player in the emerging protest movement in both countries. While they were rather heterogeneous, some parts of the “Querdenker”—and especially several of the more prominent activists—were not only prone to conspiratorial thinking but even open to sovereignist ideas. They publicly used topics from the “Reichsbürger” and met representatives of that milieu. The “Reichsbürger” are a particular brand of German anti-state extremism, also present in Austria, that believes in the continued existence of the German Reich, and often claims to be the only real “state authority”. After many years of not being taken seriously, several recent incidents of violence have led to a debate about what level of threat the “Reichsbürger” anti-state extremism poses. This article describes and analyses the links and dynamics between the “Querdenker” movement and the Reichsbürger milieu. It looks at three of the most influential actors that connected the two groups and compares the developments in Austria and Germany, while also examining the role of traditional “protest parties”.

Populist attitudes in Croatia: first analysis with notes on conceptualisation and measurement

Abstract This paper analyses individual-level populism in Croatia. Starting from the ideational definition of populism, the study tests to what extent the economic grievances, sociocultural and ideational explanations, respectively, reflect the average populism subscriber in Croatia. The analysis was made using hierarchical linear regression based on field survey data from 2020 (n=979). Results show how populism is mostly associated with authoritarianism, conspiratorial thinking and institutional (dis)trust. The economic grievances explanation has only marginal relevance, revealing that sociotropic perception is more important than the socioeconomic position of the individual. Furthermore, the study emphasises the importance of operationalising populism in accordance with the assumed structure of the concept. In the same vein, it is noted that populism on an attitudinal level should be separated from the concepts of thick ideologies. If this is not done with caution, the conclusions drawn are questionable, and the analytical contribution of populism is imprecisely determined.

Conspiracy Theory Belief and Education: A Critical Social Analysis

Research on conspiracy theories has revealed a significant association between conspiratorial thinking and education. The relationship is complex, however, and has so far been limited primarily to investigations of personal psychological attributes. This paper argues, instead, in favour of a broader social research perspective, specifically, one informed by a dialectical materialist philosophy. A secondary analysis of publicly available international data sourced from economic institutions and other organisations on conspiratorial belief, educational performance measures, unemployment, inequality and corruption perception was carried out. Conspiratorial belief was taken as a collective public epistemological phenomenon across countries, to explore the role of contemporary education systems across societies, and the degree to which they are successfully nurturing an effective form of critical thinking. A dialectical materialist philosophical approach was instrumental in formulating the study scope and interpreting the findings, given the use of countries as the fundamental unit of analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between belief in conspiracy theories and education, taking into account social context using unemployment, inequality, and corruption as control variables. The findings showed that the relationship between conspiratorial thinking and education held at the societal level, and was mediated by additional social factors. The paper goes on to argue, by virtue of the nature of the mediators, that education systems generally tend to fall short of effective and socially-engaged forms of critical pedagogy.

I Trends

The profusion of conspiracy theories in recent social and political discourse is alarming. As a response to this increasingly concerning problem, there is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary literature on conspiracy theories and conspiratorial thinking. In this article, I review the state of the scholarship on conspiracy theories and its related concepts. I begin with a definition of conspiracy theories and key terms related to their communication and belief. Then, the article turns to the research on the spread, correlates, and consequences of conspiratorial beliefs, highlighting important findings and trends in research. Lastly, I discuss areas where research is lacking and future scholarly efforts should be placed. Altogether, this text provides a much-needed assessment and sorting of a rapidly evolving field of research that spans across several disciplinary boundaries.

Intention to Vaccinate against COVID-19 among Young Adults: The Role of Conspiratorial Thinking.

The anti-scientific and anti-vaccine movements gained momentum amidst the health and socio-economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. These widespread pseudoscientific beliefs and the endorsement of conspiracy theories likely contributed to the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study was to explore which variables best differentiated between groups of vaccinated (n = 289), vaccine-hesitant (n = 106), and vaccine-refusing (n = 146) young adults. The study was conducted online at the beginning of the mass vaccination campaign in Croatia when the vaccine just became available for younger and non-vulnerable members of the general population. The demographic variables, COVID-19 anxiety, and conspiratorial thinking regarding COVID-19 were entered into the discriminant analysis. The function explaining 89.2% of the group differences, mostly between the vaccinated and vaccine-refusing, was largely defined by conspiratorial thinking regarding COVID-19 (0.852), followed by variables with substantially less discriminative power, including COVID-19 anxiety (0.423; lower in the vaccine-refusing group), political orientation (0.486; vaccine-refusing leaning less to the left), financial and educational status (0.435 and 0.304, respectively; both lower in the vaccine-refusing group), and religiosity (0.301; higher in the vaccine-refusing group). These results confirm that among young adults, the decision to vaccinate against COVID-19 might be heavily influenced by one's proclivity to engage in conspiratorial thinking.