Psychology study explores how labeling an idea a “conspiracy theory” impacts its credibility
A recent study explores the psychology behind labeling ideas as conspiracy theories. The findings, published in the British Journal of Psychology, suggest...
People who endorse conspiracy theories tend to be more religious, and this may be due to ideological overlap
A large study published in the journal Political Psychology suggests that the link between conspiracy belief and religiosity is rooted in cognitive...
Mindfulness can help explain the relationship between neuroticism and cognitive failures, study suggests
The Five Factor Model of Personality (also known as The Big Five) refers to the traits of Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion,...
Conspiracy mentality associated with extreme left- and right-wing beliefs across 26 countries
A large-scale project involving over 100,000 people from 26 countries concluded that conspiracy mentality was associated with extreme left- and...
National narcissism identified as a robust predictor of belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories
New research published Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin provides evidence that national narcissism is strongly tied to the spread of...
Having a conspiratorial mindset doesn’t appear to help people deal with uncertainty or reduce anxiety
Conspiracy theories might offer a straightforward and simple explanations for complex events. But new research published in the Personality and...
People who believe COVID-19 misinformation are more likely to contract the virus
Having less accurate knowledge about COVID-19 is associated with a greater likelihood of contracting the virus, according to new research...
Narcissists’ proneness to conspiracy belief is partly driven by a desire to be unique and heightened paranoia
A study published in the Journal of Research in Personality sheds new light on the psychological features that tie narcissism to conspiracy...
Dark personality traits positively associated with COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs
A study published in the journal of Personality and Individual Differences found that Machiavellianism, primary psychopathy, and collective narcissism positively...
Belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories linked to a greater likelihood of contracting the virus, study finds
"Conspiracy theories are in many ways harmful for society. But, this study suggests that in the long run, conspiracy theories...
Scientists uncover a psychological factor that explains support for QAnon better than political ideology
Anti-establishment sentiments are a key component of political opinion and behavior in the United States and are distinct from traditional...
New research sheds light on the psychological payoff of believing in conspiracy theories
"Conspiracy theories have a storyline that actually has a lot in common with entertaining works of fiction, such as a...
Facets of conspiratorial thinking linked to the rejection of specific scientific innovations
New research sheds light on the relationship between distrust of new scientific innovations and the general tendency to believe in...
Conspiracy theorists and religious people are more likely to commit a ‘conjunction fallacy’ in contexts related to their worldviews
A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology sheds light on how a person’s worldview can lead them to jump to...
People with a conspiracy mindset are no less likely to accept vaccines — so long as their friends accept them, too
A study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology sheds light on a promising avenue for reducing vaccine hesitancy....
