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Related Concept Videos

Theory of Attribution II: Kelley's Covariation Theory01:29

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Correspondent inference theory, proposed by Jones and Davis in 1965, seeks to explain how individuals infer stable personality traits from observed behaviors. It suggests that people attribute actions to underlying dispositions rather than external circumstances, particularly when the behavior appears intentional and socially significant.Voluntary Behavior and Dispositional AttributionAccording to this theory, individuals are more likely to attribute behavior to personal traits when it appears...
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Holistic Facial Composite Creation and Subsequent Video Line-up Eyewitness Identification Paradigm
09:49

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Published on: December 24, 2015

Commercial conspiracy theories: a pilot study.

Adrian Furnham1

  • 1Research Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London London, UK.

Frontiers in Psychology
|July 3, 2013
PubMed
Summary

This study explored predictors of commercial conspiracy beliefs in British adults. Findings indicate that cynicism towards advertising and corporate tactics is common, with specific demographic factors influencing these beliefs.

Keywords:
Big Fivecommercial conspiracy theoriesindividual differencespolitics

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Marketing

Background:

  • Conspiracy theories are prevalent and can be categorized in various ways.
  • Understanding beliefs in commercial conspiracy theories is important for public discourse and marketing.
  • Previous research has explored general conspiracy beliefs, but commercial-specific beliefs require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine individual and demographic predictors of beliefs in commercial conspiracy theories.
  • To identify clusters of commercial conspiracy beliefs.
  • To explore the relationship between psychological traits, demographics, and commercial conspiracy beliefs.

Main Methods:

  • A sample of over 300 British adults participated in the study.
  • Participants completed measures assessing beliefs in commercial conspiracy theories.
  • Regression analyses were used to identify predictors of these beliefs.

Main Results:

  • Beliefs in commercial conspiracy theories clustered into four types: sneakiness, manipulative, change-the-rules, and suppression/prevention.
  • Lower religiosity, left-wing political orientation, pessimism, lower self-perceived wealth, lower Neuroticism, and lower Openness-to-Experience were associated with higher commercial conspiracy beliefs.
  • Individual difference variables explained a small proportion of the variance in commercial conspiracy beliefs.

Conclusions:

  • Commercial conspiracy beliefs are multifaceted and influenced by a combination of demographic and psychological factors.
  • While certain individual differences are associated with these beliefs, they do not fully account for their prevalence.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the complex nature of commercial conspiracy theories and their societal implications.