Conspiracy mentality and political orientation across 26 countries

Roland Imhoff (), Felix Zimmer, Olivier Klein, João H. C. António, Maria Babinska, Adrian Bangerter, Michal Bilewicz, Nebojša Blanuša, Kosta Bovan, Rumena Bužarovska, Aleksandra Cichocka, Sylvain Delouvée, Karen M. Douglas, Asbjørn Dyrendal, Tom Etienne, Biljana Gjoneska, Sylvie Graf, Estrella Gualda, Gilad Hirschberger, Anna Kende, Yordan Kutiyski, Peter Krekó, Andre Krouwel, Silvia Mari, Jasna Milošević Đorđević, Maria Serena Panasiti, Myrto Pantazi, Ljupcho Petkovski, Giuseppina Porciello, André Rabelo, Raluca Nicoleta Radu, Florin A. Sava, Michael Schepisi, Robbie M. Sutton, Viren Swami, Hulda Thórisdóttir, Vladimir Turjačanin, Pascal Wagner-Egger, Iris Žeželj and Jan-Willem Prooijen
Additional contact information
Roland Imhoff: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Felix Zimmer: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Olivier Klein: Université libre de Bruxelles
João H. C. António: Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CIEP
Maria Babinska: University of Warsaw
Adrian Bangerter: University of Neuchâtel
Michal Bilewicz: University of Warsaw
Nebojša Blanuša: University of Zagreb
Kosta Bovan: University of Zagreb
Rumena Bužarovska: University Ss Cyril and Methodius
Aleksandra Cichocka: University of Kent
Sylvain Delouvée: Université de Rennes
Karen M. Douglas: University of Kent
Asbjørn Dyrendal: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Tom Etienne: Research Institute Kieskompas
Biljana Gjoneska: Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Sylvie Graf: University of Bern
Estrella Gualda: Universidad de Huelva
Gilad Hirschberger: Interdisciplinary Center (IDC)
Anna Kende: ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University
Yordan Kutiyski: Research Institute Kieskompas
Peter Krekó: ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University
Andre Krouwel: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Silvia Mari: University of Milano - Bicocca
Jasna Milošević Đorđević: Singidunum University
Maria Serena Panasiti: Sapienza University of Rome
Myrto Pantazi: University of Oxford
Ljupcho Petkovski: Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities
Giuseppina Porciello: Sapienza University of Rome
André Rabelo: Universidade de Brasília
Raluca Nicoleta Radu: University of Bucharest
Florin A. Sava: West University of Timisoara
Michael Schepisi: Sapienza University of Rome
Robbie M. Sutton: University of Kent
Viren Swami: Anglia Ruskin University
Hulda Thórisdóttir: University of Iceland
Vladimir Turjačanin: University of Banja Luka
Pascal Wagner-Egger: Université de Fribourg
Iris Žeželj: University of Belgrade
Jan-Willem Prooijen: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Nature Human Behaviour, 2022, vol. 6, issue 3, 392-403

Abstract: Abstract People differ in their general tendency to endorse conspiracy theories (that is, conspiracy mentality). Previous research yielded inconsistent findings on the relationship between conspiracy mentality and political orientation, showing a greater conspiracy mentality either among the political right (a linear relation) or amongst both the left and right extremes (a curvilinear relation). We revisited this relationship across two studies spanning 26 countries (combined N = 104,253) and found overall evidence for both linear and quadratic relations, albeit small and heterogeneous across countries. We also observed stronger support for conspiracy mentality among voters of opposition parties (that is, those deprived of political control). Nonetheless, the quadratic effect of political orientation remained significant when adjusting for political control deprivation. We conclude that conspiracy mentality is associated with extreme left- and especially extreme right-wing beliefs, and that this non-linear relation may be strengthened by, but is not reducible to, deprivation of political control.

Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01258-7

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