Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 9, 2026
10:57
RNAi-mediated Double Gene Knockdown and Gustatory Perception Measurement in Honey Bees Apis mellifera
Published on: July 25, 2013
15.5K
Regulatory Focus and Conspiratorial Perceptions: The Importance of Personal Control
Jennifer A Whitson1, Joongseo Kim2, Cynthia S Wang3
11 University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|June 2, 2018
Summary
Promotion focus, a mindset emphasizing advancement, reduces conspiratorial beliefs by enhancing personal control. This regulatory focus helps individuals feel more in charge, lessening susceptibility to conspiracy theories.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Conspiratorial beliefs are prevalent and can have significant societal impacts.
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of susceptibility to conspiracy theories is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention) in shaping conspiratorial perceptions.
- To determine if personal control mediates the relationship between regulatory focus and conspiracy beliefs.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted using manipulations and measures of regulatory focus and personal control.
- Participants were primed with either promotion focus, prevention focus, or a baseline condition.
- Measures included assessing conspiratorial beliefs and sense of personal control.
Main Results:
- Promotion focus significantly reduced conspiratorial perceptions compared to a baseline.
- The effect of promotion focus on reducing conspiracy beliefs was mediated by an increased sense of personal control.
- Prevention focus did not significantly alter conspiratorial beliefs or personal control.
Conclusions:
- Promotion focus can serve as a psychological buffer against conspiratorial beliefs.
- Enhancing a sense of personal control through promotion focus is key to reducing susceptibility to conspiracy theories.
- These findings offer insights into interventions aimed at mitigating the spread of misinformation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Dark Triad and Person Perception
307
Person perception is influenced by both external behaviors and the observer’s internal characteristics, including personality traits. Individuals with dark personality traits, comprising psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism — collectively known as the dark triad – exhibit manipulative and exploitative tendencies in social contexts. These traits affect how they perceive others and how they are perceived.The Role of Dark Personality Traits in Person PerceptionBlack et...
307
02:02Cis-regulatory Sequences
11.9K
Cis-regulatory sequences are short fragments of non-coding DNA that are present on the same chromosomes as the genes that they regulate. These fragments serve as binding sites for transcriptional regulators, proteins that are responsible for controlling gene transcription and differential gene expression across cell types in eukaryotes. Cis-regulatory sequences can be close to the gene of interest or thousands of bases away in the DNA sequence; however, those sequences that are further away are...
11.9K
01:03Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact
567
Drug control governance involves the oversight and regulation of pharmaceuticals to ensure their safety and efficacy while preventing illegal drug use and trafficking. Regulatory bodies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union's European Medicines Agency (EMA), play a central role in this process. These agencies evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs before they can be marketed. They fund clinical trials and assess the benefits and risks associated with...
567
01:15Subliminal Perception
801
Subliminal perception refers to the processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness. Researchers study subliminal perception by presenting a stimulus, such as a word or image, very quickly, typically around 50 milliseconds. This rapid presentation is often followed by another stimulus, such as a pattern of dots or lines, which blocks further mental processing of the initial stimulus. As a result, if participants cannot identify the initial stimulus better...
801
01:25Factors Affecting Perception
2.8K
Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
2.8K
01:28Perception
1.2K
Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
1.2K