Values correlates of beliefs in conspiracy theories

Abstract

Conspiracy theories can be conceptualized as beliefs that serve to explain behaviors and actions of secret groups or organizations. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between values and conspiracy theories. Participants were 205 undergraduate students (Mage = 21.7, 56.6% female), who responded to the Conspiracy General Beliefs Scale, the Basic Values Survey and demographic questions. Results indicated that conspiracy beliefs are mainly associated with humanitarian or abstract values as represented by excitement, suprapersonal and interactive, but also with promotion values. In conclusion, values can be an important variable to explain the endorsement of beliefs in conspiracy theories, especially those that promote higher openness to experience and social justice; they do not limit to conventional sources and explanations of complex facts. Finally, we also discussed the limitations and potential applications.