Conspiracy Theories

Individuals with a better grasp of scientific reasoning are less likely to fall prey to false conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research published in the Journal of Health Psychology. "At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic...

When it comes to the false claim that vaccines cause autism, Republicans tend to be more swayed by Donald Trump than scientists, according to new research published in the journal Health Communication. The study indicates that politicians can have a...

Heightened acceptance of hierarchy predicts heightened belief in certain types of conspiracy theories, according to new research in the British Journal of Psychology. The study suggests that cultural norms about the distribution of power are related to beliefs about foreign...

New research published in the Journal of Personality helps to establish a profile of those who are most likely to believe in conspiracy theories. The study indicates that conspiracy-prone individuals tend to exhibit heightened narcissism and antagonism along with reduced...

Cutting-edge methods from machine learning could help scientists better understand the visual experiences induced by psychedelic drugs such as dimethyltryptamine (DMT), according to a new article published in the scientific journal Neuroscience of Consciousness. Researchers have demonstrated that "classic" psychedelic...

People who believe in conspiracy theories display a cognitive bias -- known as the jumping-to-conclusions bias -- that is commonly observed in schizophrenia patients, according to new research published in Frontiers in Psychology. The study provides new insights into the...

New research provides evidence irrational beliefs and cognitive tendencies play an important role in health behaviors related to COVID-19, such as adherence to COVID-19 safety guidelines and engaging in pseudoscientific practices. The study has been published in the scientific journal...

Four large studies among U.S. adults found consistent evidence that conservatives are more likely than liberals to endorse conspiracy thinking. This effect was explained by a distrust in officials and paranoid tendencies. The findings were published in Political Psychology. Past...

People with a poor understanding of quantitative information are more likely to endorse myths about COVID-19 and those who believe such misinformation are less likely to follow public health guidance such as wearing a mask in public, according to new...

People who believe that the antimalarial drug chloroquine is an effective remedy against COVID-19 are less likely to say they will receive a vaccination for the virus when one is available, according to new research published in Frontiers in Psychology....

A British study published in Psychological Medicine suggests that the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 may be more widespread than expected. Furthermore, this lack of trust in public health information could be impeding the country’s efforts to slow the...

A study published in Politics and the Life Sciences suggests that a conspiracy mentality is linked to increased support for conspiracy theories and higher endorsement of fake news claims. The nonacceptance of well-supported science is a pervasive problem in today’s...

Even conspiracy theories that do not deny the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic are linked to lower levels of social distancing, according to new research published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. The study found that U.S. citizens...

People with a strong interest in celebrities are not more likely than others to question the effectiveness of vaccines. However, new research published in Psychology, Health & Medicine indicates that celebrity worship is linked to several other types of anti-vaccination...

Political conservatism was associated with heightened susceptibility to believing fake news about COVID-19 in the early stages of the outbreak in the United States, according to new research published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. The study provides preliminary evidence...