Who believes in conspiracy theories? A meta-analysis on personality correlates

Stasielowicz, Lukasz

doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2022.104229

Cited by 75 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…First, we have what might be called the schizotypal trait model. This model draws support from research showing that both paranormal beliefs and generic conspiracist ideation are correlated with high levels of paranoia and schizotypy (Darwin et al, 2011;Barron, 2018;Denovan, 2020;Dagnall, 2015;Stasielowicz, 2022), having lower need for cognition (Lobato et al, 2014), lower levels of analytic thinking (Swami et al, 2014), seeing agency and intentionality when it is not present (Douglas et al, 2016;although see Dieguez, 2015), and some other general personality traits such as agreeableness and openness (Swami et al, 2010;Rizeq, 2020; although see recent meta-analysis by Goreis (2019) suggesting very small personality effects averaging across studies). From this perspective, paranormal beliefs and conspiracist ideation are just some of the various cognitive byproducts of a schizotypal attributional style (see, e.g., Darwin et al, 2011).…”

Section: Predictors Of Conspiracist Ideation and Paranormal Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Conspiracist and paranormal beliefs: A typology of non-reductive ideation

Dieckmann

Hartman²

2022

IJPP

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Non-reductive ideation is characterized by a tendency to attribute causality to non-physical powers and mysterious forms of intelligent agency such as conspiracist ideation, belief in specific conspiracy theories, and belief in the paranormal. Scholars have identified numerous individual correlates of non-reductive ideation but do not examine shared patterns across multiple predictors to determine subtypes of individuals with different psychological profiles. We address this gap by considering a large set of predictors in a diverse cross-section of the US public (N=792) to uncover latent subtypes of individuals with varying tendencies toward non-reductive ideation. Schizotypal and neurotic tendencies were the strongest predictors of non-reductive ideation, while sociopolitical identity (e.g., political ideology) contributed little explanatory power. We find five distinct latent classes distinguished by: schizotypal and paranoid ideation, alienated skepticism toward people/society, and a negative sense of self. We discuss these results in light of previous findings and suggest directions for future research.

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Section: Predictors Of Conspiracist Ideation and Paranormal Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Conspiracist and paranormal beliefs: A typology of non-reductive ideation

Dieckmann

Hartman²

2022

IJPP

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“…4. Based on Stasielowicz (2022; r = −.14), Beller (2017; correlation coefficients ranging from .09 to .36), and Oliver and Wood (2014; correlation coefficients ranging from .10 to .36), we predicted that conspiracy beliefs are positively correlated with Religiosity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale

et al. 2022

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Theorists acknowledge that conspiracy beliefs represent an established psychological construct. The study of conspiracy beliefs is important because allied ideation potentially influences everyday attitudes and behaviors across a range of domains (i.e., cognitive, social, cross-cultural, and political psychology). In this article, we analyze the internal structure and construct validity of the Spanish adaptation of the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS). Correlational and confirmatory factor analyses using an international sample of 732 Spanish-speakers revealed a five-factor structure equivalent to the original instrument. Convergent validity was demonstrated using educational level, political orientation, need for uniqueness, and four social axioms (social cynicism, religiosity, reward for application, and fate control). In comparison to two English samples (N = 794 and N = 421), the adaptation demonstrated satisfactory, although restricted, levels of invariance. Accordingly, findings support the use of this translated form of the GCBS with Spanish speakers.

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“…The reduced willingness to show preventive behaviors was also linked to boldness, dark personality, and perceived barriers to preventive behaviors 2 , 3 . Furthermore, according to meta-analytic findings 35 , conspiracy beliefs are related to narcissism, paranoia, schizotypy, pseudoscientific beliefs, and religiosity. Thus, accounting for those variables could be fruitful when examining the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and COVID-19-related preventive behaviors.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Research Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A continuous time meta-analysis of the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and individual preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Stasielowicz

2022

Sci Rep

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In several longitudinal studies, reduced willingness to show COVID-19-related preventive behavior (e.g., wearing masks, social distancing) has been partially attributed to misinformation and conspiracy beliefs. However, there is considerable uncertainty with respect to the strength of the relationship and whether the negative relationship exists in both directions (reciprocal effects). One explanation of the heterogeneity pertains to the fact that the time interval between consecutive measurement occasions varies (e.g., 1 month, 3 months) both between and within studies. Therefore, a continuous time meta-analysis based on longitudinal studies was conducted. This approach enables one to examine how the strength of the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and COVID-19 preventive behavior depends on the time interval. In total, 1035 correlations were coded for 17 samples (N = 16,350). The results for both the full set of studies and a subset consisting of 13 studies corroborated the existence of reciprocal effects. Furthermore, there was some evidence of publication bias. The largest cross-lagged effects were observed between 3 and 6 months, which can inform decision-makers and researchers when carrying out interventions or designing studies examining the consequences of new conspiracy theories.

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Who believes in conspiracy theories? A meta-analysis on personality correlates

Cited by 75 publications

References 87 publications

Conspiracist and paranormal beliefs: A typology of non-reductive ideation

Conspiracist and paranormal beliefs: A typology of non-reductive ideation

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale

A continuous time meta-analysis of the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and individual preventive behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

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