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Do Your Own Research (?) A Weak Link Between Conspiracism and Preference for First-Hand Evidence in a Perceptual

Noëmon Baudouin1, Sacha Altay2, Hugo Mercier1

  • 1Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, École normale supérieure, Université PSL, EHESS, CNRS, Paris, France.

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Summary

People drawn to conspiracy theories may prefer "doing their own research" for epistemic autonomy. However, studies show their behavior doesn't always align with this preference outside conspiracy contexts.

Keywords:
conspiracy beliefsconspiracy mentalityepistemic autonomyepistemic individualisminformation-seeking

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Conspiracy theories often encourage independent investigation, termed 'doing your own research.'
  • This suggests a potential link between conspiracy belief and a desire for epistemic autonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if a preference for forming beliefs independently (epistemic autonomy) explains attraction to conspiracy theories.
  • To examine the relationship between conspiracy belief, epistemic individualism, and preference for first-hand evidence.

Main Methods:

  • Four pre-registered studies were conducted with 1196 participants in the US and UK.
  • Participants chose between performing a task independently or accepting an expert's answer.
  • Internal fixed-effect meta-analyses were used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

  • A weak but significant link was found between conspiracy belief and preference for first-hand evidence.
  • A stronger and more robust relationship was observed between epistemic individualism and preference for first-hand evidence.
  • Participants' behavior did not consistently match their stated preference for 'doing their own research' in non-conspiratorial situations.

Conclusions:

  • While individuals believing in conspiracy theories express a desire for epistemic autonomy, their actions may not fully reflect this.
  • Epistemic individualism appears to be a stronger predictor of preferring first-hand evidence than conspiracy belief itself.
  • The findings suggest a nuanced understanding of why individuals engage with conspiracy theories, highlighting the role of epistemic independence.