How exposure to real conspiracy theories motivates collective action and political engagement? Τhe moderating role of primed victimhood and underlying emotional mechanisms in the case of 2018 bushfire in Attica

Abstract

Conspiracy theories concern milestone events, mobilizing various explanations. However, there is still emerging research on how conspiracy beliefs mobilize normative and nonnormative collective action, as well as political engagement and what the emotional underpinnings of such effects are. We conducted two experimental studies (Study 1, N = 301 and Study 2, N = 328) on exploring the relationship between exposure to conspiracy theories and normative, nonnormative collective action and political engagement, moderated by primed victimhood and mediated by fear/anxiety and anger emotional indices. Results in Study 1 showed that exposure to conspiracy theories decreases normative collective action, but increases nonnormative collective action, negative emotions of anger and fear/anxiety and political engagement. In Study 2 we confirmed findings of Study 1, but these effects were moderated by primed victimhood. Study 2 also showed that anger index, but not fear/anxiety index, significantly mediated the moderating interaction effect between exposure to conspiracy theories and primed victimhood on the (non)normative collective action and political engagement. Results are discussed in light of the broader impact of circulation of conspiracy theories and their effective tackle amidst societal traumas.

Change by (almost) all means: The role of conspiracy mentality in predicting support for social change among the political left and right

“…In addition, we found that this conspiracy-driven support for change among the right (but not the left) was even reflected in normative collective action intentions. This finding adds to previous research that links belief in conspiracy theories to collective action intentions but yielded somewhat inconsistent findings with regard to normative versus nonnormative forms of collective action (Gkinopoulos & Mari, 2022;Imhoff & Bruder, 2014). In addition, it might be carefully interpreted as a sign that right wingers with a strong conspiracy mentality support population-based social change.…”