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Conspiracy mentality and political orientation across 26 countries
Roland Imhoff1, Felix Zimmer2, Olivier Klein3
1Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. roland.imhoff@uni-mainz.de.
Nature Human Behaviour
|January 18, 2022
Summary
Conspiracy mentality is linked to extreme political beliefs, particularly on the right. This non-linear relationship is influenced by political control but not solely explained by it.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Political Psychology
- Cross-Cultural Studies
Background:
- Individual differences in conspiracy mentality are well-documented.
- Previous research on conspiracy mentality and political orientation yielded inconsistent findings, suggesting both linear and curvilinear relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between conspiracy mentality and political orientation across diverse countries.
- To examine the role of political control deprivation in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from two large-scale studies involving over 100,000 participants across 26 countries.
- Statistical examination of linear and quadratic effects of political orientation on conspiracy mentality.
Main Results:
- Evidence found for both linear and quadratic relationships between conspiracy mentality and political orientation, though small and varying by country.
- Conspiracy mentality was higher among voters of opposition parties (deprived of political control).
- The quadratic effect remained significant even after accounting for political control deprivation.
Conclusions:
- Conspiracy mentality is associated with extreme left-wing and especially extreme right-wing political beliefs.
- This non-linear association is potentially strengthened by political control deprivation but not reducible to it.
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