Conspiracy theories have become a frequent theme on this blog, e.g.:
- Believing in conspiracy theories: The role of emotional granularity and maladaptive emotion regulation
- How can we reduce the belief in conspiracy theories?
- Conspiracy theories and dangerous recommendations via YouTube videos
- Conspiracy theories, assumptions, opinions, evidence and scientific facts
- Conspiracy beliefs prompt consumers to use so-called alternative medicine
- Conspiracy Beliefs Predict Health Behavior and Well-being during the Pandemic
- Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs, mistrust, and compliance with government guidelines
- Mistrust + Misinformation —> CONSPIRACY THEORY
In fact, I have previously postulated that so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) can be understood as a conspiracy theory.
A new paper asked a relevant question: who believes in conspiracy theories? Conspiracy theories are ubiquitous and can have negative consequences. Thus, there is an increasing need for evidence-based recommendations with respect to interventions and prevention measures. Present Bayesian three-level meta-analysis includes a synthesis of the extant literature with respect to 12 personality correlates and their relationship with conspiracy beliefs. On average, people who believe in pseudoscience, suffer from paranoia or schizotypy, are narcissistic or religious/spiritual and have relatively low cognitive ability, are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. Heterogeneity was partially explained by the examined moderators and no strong evidence for publication bias was found. Implications for developing tailored interventions are discussed in the article.
Conspiracy is a “secret plot by two or more powerful actors … Conspiracies typically attempt to usurp political or economic power, violate rights, infringe upon established agreements, withhold vital secrets, or alter bedrock institutions”. Conspiracy theories are used to describe and explain purported conspiracies.
People who believe in conspiracy theories are, according to this meta-analysis, more likely than other people to hold pseudoscientific beliefs, exhibit paranoid ideation, suffer from schizotypy, be narcissistic, be religious/spiritual and have lower cognitive ability.
Reading the comments sections of my blog, I agree with this conclusion.
5 Responses to Who believes in conspiracy theories? A meta-analysis
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That some weird people believe conspiracy ideas does not mean that these conspiracies do not exist.
the fact that you are paranoid does not mean they are not following you
[Woody Allen]
Exactly what I meant. 🙂
I only forgot who said it first.
Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by stupidity (to paraphrase).
One of the oldest conspiracy theories is the trope that Jews use the blood of Christian children to bake matzah (unleavened bread) for the passover. I’ve seen it illustrated in the stained glass windows of the 14thC cathedral Freiburg.