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Published on: September 28, 2018
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Economic inequality and conspiracy theories.
Jolanda Jetten1, Kim Peters2, Bruno Gabriel Salvador Casara3
1The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
Current Opinion in Psychology
|June 20, 2022
Summary
High economic inequality fuels conspiratorial thinking by eroding social cohesion and increasing anomie. Understanding societal context is key to grasping conspiracy beliefs, which reflect collective experiences.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Political Science
Background:
- Economic inequality is a significant societal issue.
- Conspiratorial thinking is a prevalent phenomenon.
- The link between inequality and conspiracy beliefs requires further exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether perceptions of economic inequality can trigger conspiratorial thinking.
- To examine the mediating role of anomie in the relationship between economic inequality and conspiratorial thinking.
- To emphasize the importance of socio-structural contexts in understanding conspiracy beliefs.
Main Methods:
- The study focuses on the mechanism linking inequality to conspiratorial thinking.
- It outlines how inequality enhances perceptions of anomie.
- Anomie is presented as a mediator that increases conspiratorial thinking.
Main Results:
- High economic inequality enhances conspiratorial thinking.
- Economic inequality fosters anomie, which in turn increases conspiratorial thinking.
- Conspiracy beliefs are rooted in socio-structural contexts and collective experiences.
Conclusions:
- Economic inequality is a significant driver of conspiratorial thinking.
- Anomie plays a crucial role in mediating this relationship.
- Conspiracy beliefs are not solely individual irrationality but reflect societal conditions.
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