Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview
This paper assessed whether belief in conspiracy theories was associated with a particularly cognitive style (worldview). The sample comprised 223 volunteers recruited via convenience sampling and included undergraduates, postgraduates, university employees and alumni. Respondents completed measures...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00206/full |
| _version_ | 1819237493299478528 |
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| author | Neil eDagnall |
| author_facet | Neil eDagnall |
| author_sort | Neil eDagnall |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper assessed whether belief in conspiracy theories was associated with a particularly cognitive style (worldview). The sample comprised 223 volunteers recruited via convenience sampling and included undergraduates, postgraduates, university employees and alumni. Respondents completed measures assessing a range of cognitive-perceptual factors (schizotypy, delusional ideation and hallucination proneness) and conspiratorial beliefs (general attitudes towards conspiracist thinking and endorsement of individual conspiracies). Positive symptoms of schizotypy, particularly the cognitive-perceptual factor, correlated positively with conspiracist beliefs. The best predictor of belief in conspiracies was delusional ideation. Consistent with the notion of a coherent conspiratorial mindset, scores across conspiracy measures correlated strongly. Whilst findings supported the view that belief in conspiracies, within the sub-clinical population, was associated with a delusional thinking style, cognitive-perceptual factors in combination accounted for only 32% of the variance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T13:21:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa27f9d28f234188a87a93e4e6c983bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T13:21:12Z |
| publishDate | 2015-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa27f9d28f234188a87a93e4e6c983bc2022-12-21T17:45:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-02-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.00206128279Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A WorldviewNeil eDagnall0MMUThis paper assessed whether belief in conspiracy theories was associated with a particularly cognitive style (worldview). The sample comprised 223 volunteers recruited via convenience sampling and included undergraduates, postgraduates, university employees and alumni. Respondents completed measures assessing a range of cognitive-perceptual factors (schizotypy, delusional ideation and hallucination proneness) and conspiratorial beliefs (general attitudes towards conspiracist thinking and endorsement of individual conspiracies). Positive symptoms of schizotypy, particularly the cognitive-perceptual factor, correlated positively with conspiracist beliefs. The best predictor of belief in conspiracies was delusional ideation. Consistent with the notion of a coherent conspiratorial mindset, scores across conspiracy measures correlated strongly. Whilst findings supported the view that belief in conspiracies, within the sub-clinical population, was associated with a delusional thinking style, cognitive-perceptual factors in combination accounted for only 32% of the variance.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00206/fullschizotypycognitive styleworldviewDelusional ideationConspiracist belief |
| spellingShingle | Neil eDagnall Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview Frontiers in Psychology schizotypy cognitive style worldview Delusional ideation Conspiracist belief |
| title | Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview |
| title_full | Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview |
| title_fullStr | Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview |
| title_short | Conspiracy Theory and Cognitive Style: A Worldview |
| title_sort | conspiracy theory and cognitive style a worldview |
| topic | schizotypy cognitive style worldview Delusional ideation Conspiracist belief |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00206/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT neiledagnall conspiracytheoryandcognitivestyleaworldview |