Does deliberation decrease belief in conspiracies?

Bagó, Bence; Rand, David G.; Pennycook, Gordon

doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2022.104395

Cited by 26 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 66 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Failing to find a relationship between cognitive style and the truth effect with trivia statements aligns with previous research also failing to do so (de Keersmaecker et al, 2020 ) and with the general difficulty in finding associations between quantitative individual differences and the truth effect (for an exception, see, e.g., Newman et al, 2020 ). Turning to conspiracy statements, not finding associations of the truth effect with conspiracy mentality or cognitive style may be surprising if one assumes that beliefs in conspiracy theories are mainly rooted in individual differences such as conspiratorial or intuitive thinking (Bago et al, 2022 ). Beyond suggesting that situational factors may prove important to understand conspiracism, these null results suggest they are independent of some individual ones.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repetition could increase the perceived truth of conspiracy theories

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Conspiracy theories can be encountered repeatedly, which raises the issue of the effect of their repeated exposure on beliefs. Earlier studies found that repetition increases truth judgments of factual statements, whether they are uncertain, highly implausible, or fake news, for instance. Would this "truth effect" be observed with conspiracy statements? If so, is the effect size smaller than the typical truth effect, and is it associated with individual differences such as cognitive style and conspiracy mentality? In the present preregistered study, we addressed these three issues. We asked participants to provide binary truth judgments to conspiracy and factual statements already displayed in an exposure phase (an interest judgment task) or that were new (displayed only in the truth judgment task). We measured participants' cognitive style with the three-item Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), and conspiracy mentality with the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire (CMQ). Importantly, we found that repetition increased truth judgments of conspiracy theories, unmoderated by cognitive style and conspiracy mentality. Additionally, we found that the truth effect was smaller with conspiracy theories than with uncertain factual statements, and suggest explanations for this difference. The results suggest that repetition may be a simple way to increase belief in conspiracy theories. Whether repetition increases conspiracy beliefs in natural settings and how it contributes to conspiracism compared to other factors are important questions for future research.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Repetition could increase the perceived truth of conspiracy theories

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Second, Bago, Rand, and Pennycook (2022) tested the assumption that the opportunity for deliberation (vs. cognitive load) helps to reduce belief in conspiracy theories. The authors aimed to go beyond existing correlational evidence showing a negative link between analytic thinking and conspiracy beliefs.…”

Section: Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging with conspiracy theories: Causes and consequences

Sassenberg

Bertin

Douglas

et al. 2023

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…These findings are noteworthy when considering recent research regarding how people engage with conspiracy theories. Previous research has indicated that conspiracy beliefs are the product of intuitive, emotional thinking and that deliberation and focused analysis is associated with lower susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs [ 53 , 54 ]. As such, fostering critical and analytical thinking in participants through priming might possibility motivate them to push past superficial evaluations, and examine the content of conspiracy beliefs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The efficacy of interventions in reducing belief in conspiracy theories: A systematic review

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Conspiracy beliefs have become a topic of increasing interest among behavioural researchers. While holding conspiracy beliefs has been associated with several detrimental social, personal, and health consequences, little research has been dedicated to systematically reviewing the methods that could reduce conspiracy beliefs. We conducted a systematic review to identify and assess interventions that have sought to counter conspiracy beliefs. Out of 25 studies (total N = 7179), we found that while the majority of interventions were ineffective in terms of changing conspiracy beliefs, several interventions were particularly effective. Interventions that fostered an analytical mindset or taught critical thinking skills were found to be the most effective in terms of changing conspiracy beliefs. Our findings are important as we develop future research to combat conspiracy beliefs.

show abstract

Does deliberation decrease belief in conspiracies?

Cited by 26 publications

References 66 publications

Repetition could increase the perceived truth of conspiracy theories

Repetition could increase the perceived truth of conspiracy theories

Engaging with conspiracy theories: Causes and consequences

The efficacy of interventions in reducing belief in conspiracy theories: A systematic review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About