Observational analysis reveals psychological factors influence belief in misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19, implying deeper distrust of institutions.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories are often grouped together, but do people believe in them for the same reasons? This study examines how these conceptually distinct forms of deceptive content are processed and believed using the COVID-19 pandemic as context. Surprisingly, despite their theoretical differences, belief in both is predicted by similar psychological factors—particularly conspiracy mentality and the perception that truth is politically constructed—suggesting that underlying distrust in institutions may outweigh differences in types of deceptive content in shaping susceptibility.
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Florian Wintterlin (2025) studied this question.
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