Conspiracist beliefs, intuitive thinking, and schizotypal facets: A further evaluation

Abstract

This study examined whether thinking style mediated relationships between belief in conspiracy and schizotypy facets. A UK-based sample of 421 respondents completed the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS), Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences Short (O-Life), and measures indexing preferential thinking style (proneness to reality testing deficits and Need for Cognition). Path analysis revealed direct and indirect relationships between Conspiracy Beliefs and schizotypy facets. Unusual Experiences had a direct effect on Conspiracy Beliefs and predicted Reality Testing and Need for Cognition. Preferential thinking style mediated the schizotypybelief in conspiracy relationship. This pattern of results (higher experiential-based processing and lower Need for Cognition) was consistent with intuitive thinking. Introverted Anhedonia and Impulsive Nonconformity predicted Reality Testing and had indirect effects on Conspiracy Beliefs. Finally, Reality Testing predicted Conspiracy Beliefs, whereas Need for Cognition did not. These results confirm that cognitive processes related to thinking style mediate the schizotypy-conspiracist beliefs relationship.

Paranormal Belief, Thinking Style and Delusion Formation: A Latent Profile Analysis of Within-Individual Variations in Experience-Based Paranormal Facets

“…Explicitly, the notion that attribution of paranormality is associated with intuitive-experiential processing (Wolfradt and Watzke, 1999 ; Wolfradt et al, 1999 ; Irwin and Wilson, 2013 ). Although, this supposition derives from the use of the IPO-RT, which is an indirect measure, the conclusion appears sound since the IPO-RT has become an established index of intuitive-experiential processing/thinking (Dagnall et al, 2017a , 2019 ; Denovan et al, 2017 , 2020 ).…”

“…Observing the potential of LPA, the current paper examined the degree to which profile membership was associated with differences in paranormal belief and cognitive-perceptual information processing; specifically, preferential thinking style (i.e., intuitive vs. experiential) and factors related to delusion formation in general populations (i.e., reality testing and emotion-based reasoning). This builds upon the body of academic work that has investigated the extent to which preferential thinking style predicts endorsement of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs and mediates related cognitive-perceptual processes (i.e., schizotypy) (Dagnall et al, 2017a ; Barron et al, 2018 ; Denovan et al, 2020 ). Although the relationship between belief in the paranormal and intuitive thinking is well-established, relatively few studies have examined whether this applies also to experiences (Irwin and Wilson, 2013 ).…”

Thinking Style and Paranormal Belief: The Role of Cognitive Biases

“…Despite this, the paper furthered research by considering the mediating effects that cognitive biases have on the relationship between thinking styles and belief in the paranormal. This is an important advance because prior research has generally focused on direct effects and failed to consider the potentially important role that mediating cognitive factors play on belief formation (see Barron et al, 2018;Denovan et al, 2020;Swami et al, 2014).…”

The Relationship Between Mental Toughness, Job Loss, and Mental Health Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Secondly, the instructions attempted to negate social desirability effects and evaluation apprehension by stating that there were no correct answers. Published studies have previously successfully implemented these procedural remedies [e.g., ( 48 , 49 )].…”