Australasian Public Awareness and Belief in Conspiracy Theories: Motivational Correlates

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dc.citation.issue1
dc.citation.volume43
dc.contributor.authorMarques MD
dc.contributor.authorLing M
dc.contributor.authorWilliams MN
dc.contributor.authorKerr JR
dc.contributor.authorMcLennan J
dc.date.available2022-02
dc.date.issued1/02/2022
dc.description.abstractBelief in conspiracies is not restricted to the fringe dwellers of society. International research suggests that such beliefs are quite common and that conspiracy theories may serve three basic psychological motives (i.e., epistemic, existential, and relational) for individuals. Yet, little is known about conspiracy theory awareness or belief in Australasia. We report the first large systematic investigation of system-justifying motives using two nationally representative samples of Australians (n = 1011) and New Zealanders (n = 754). Our findings show that almost all are aware of local and international conspiracies, the majority endorse one or more, and that all three psychological motives consistently relate to conspiracy belief, but not to awareness. In a series of hierarchical multiple regressions, we find that relational (i.e., increased anomie and disillusionment with the government) and existential motives (i.e., less trust in others and increased religiosity) are uniquely and relatively more important than epistemic needs (i.e., decreased analytic thinking) as predictors of increased local and international conspiracy belief. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of understanding conspiracy theories as an ideological belief system that may function to serve underlying psychological motives.
dc.description.publication-statusPublished
dc.format.extent177 - 198
dc.identifierhttp://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000629228300001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=c5bb3b2499afac691c2e3c1a83ef6fef
dc.identifier.citationPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY, 2022, 43 (1), pp. 177 - 198
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/pops.12746
dc.identifier.eissn1467-9221
dc.identifier.elements-id441903
dc.identifier.harvestedMassey_Dark
dc.identifier.issn0162-895X
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10179/16672
dc.relation.isPartOfPOLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY
dc.relation.urihttps://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/vr896
dc.subjectconspiracy belief
dc.subjectconspiracy theories
dc.subjectmotives
dc.subjectpolitics
dc.subjectpsychology
dc.subject.anzsrc1606 Political Science
dc.subject.anzsrc1701 Psychology
dc.subject.anzsrc1702 Cognitive Sciences
dc.titleAustralasian Public Awareness and Belief in Conspiracy Theories: Motivational Correlates
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.notesNot known
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University/College of Humanities and Social Sciences
pubs.organisational-group/Massey University/College of Humanities and Social Sciences/School of Psychology
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