Belief in Science-Related Conspiracy Theories

IF 4 1区社会学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-03-16 DOI:10.1111/josi.70004

Shane Littrell, Amanda Diekman, Michelle Seelig, Kamal Premaratne, Stefan Wuchty, Daniel Verdear, Casey A. Klofstad, Joseph Uscinski

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Abstract

Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events and circumstances by attributing them to the supposed secret actions of powerful, malevolent groups. Due to their associations with potentially harmful non-normative behaviors at both the individual and collective levels, researchers have expressed particular concern over conspiracy theories that malign science. To better understand such beliefs, we conducted a national US survey to gauge respondents’ agreement with 11 science-related conspiracy theories and their political, psychological, and social characteristics. We find that beliefs in specific science-related conspiracy theories represent two unique factors that are (i) related to non-normative behaviors including political violence, vaccine refusal, and sharing false information online, and (ii) undergirded by a range of non-normative personality traits and attitudes. We conclude by discussing the potential role of political leaders in propagating science-related conspiracy theories and the implications for preventing or reversing science-related conspiracy theory beliefs.

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来源期刊

Journal of Social Issues Multiple-

CiteScore

9.70

自引率

7.70%

发文量

期刊介绍： Published for The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), the Journal of Social Issues (JSI) brings behavioral and social science theory, empirical evidence, and practice to bear on human and social problems. Each issue of the journal focuses on a single topic - recent issues, for example, have addressed poverty, housing and health; privacy as a social and psychological concern; youth and violence; and the impact of social class on education.