An examination of the underlying dimensional structure of three domains of contaminated mindware: paranormal beliefs, conspiracy beliefs, and anti-science attitudes

Abstract The concept of contaminated mindware provides one conceptualization for measuring beliefs and attitudes about three domains that have evaluation-disabling properties in the context of reasoning: paranormal beliefs, conspiracy beliefs, and anti-science attitudes. We tested the underlying structure of individual differences in these three domains of contaminated mindware and their predictors in a sample of 321 Canadian undergraduate students. The predictors included cognitive ability, cognitive reflection, the dispositional tendency of actively open-minded thinking, and ontological confusions. A hierarchical model with three correlated general factors of paranormal, conspiracy, and anti-science beliefs and attitudes and four specific paranormal factors (i.e., psi, superstition, spiritualism, and precognition) was optimal. While all predictors were significantly correlated with the contaminated mindware domains, structural equation modeling results supported the unique effects of ontological confusions and actively open-minded thinking. The current results support the multidimensional nature of contaminated mindware domains and highlight some of its correlates and unique predictors. Providing a structure and theoretical framework for unwarranted beliefs and attitudes will be useful for measuring their potential impact on the processes of human reasoning.