Psychopathological Correlates of Conspiracy Beliefs(onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Psychopathological Correlates of Conspiracy Beliefs
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jopy.12588
34 comments
> In Samples 1, 3, and 4, participants were recruited from
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk)...
Well that really puts doubt in ny mind. Did they at least use a good method to get a realistic sample for Sample 2? >In Sample 2, par- ticipants were undergraduates enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a private university in the southeast. The same procedures were followed to ensure data quality in Sample 2...
Nope.
>We examined the associations between conspiracy beliefs, on the one hand, and self-reported personality traits...
I will say they were reasonably clear about the limitations, but they did proceed to imply conclusons regardless. No conclusions should be drawn from this study.
Well that really puts doubt in ny mind. Did they at least use a good method to get a realistic sample for Sample 2? >In Sample 2, par- ticipants were undergraduates enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a private university in the southeast. The same procedures were followed to ensure data quality in Sample 2...
Nope.
>We examined the associations between conspiracy beliefs, on the one hand, and self-reported personality traits...
I will say they were reasonably clear about the limitations, but they did proceed to imply conclusons regardless. No conclusions should be drawn from this study.
They use these three questionnaires:
Belief in Conspiracy Theories Inventory (BCTI; Swami et al., 2011)
Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS; Brotherton et al., 2013)
Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Scale (VCBS; Shapiro et al., 2016)
The first one is here in table 4: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5322923/
The second one is here in the appendix: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10....
The third one is here, in mmc1.docx in the supplementary materials: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5886898/
Belief in Conspiracy Theories Inventory (BCTI; Swami et al., 2011)
Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS; Brotherton et al., 2013)
Vaccine Conspiracy Theories Scale (VCBS; Shapiro et al., 2016)
The first one is here in table 4: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5322923/
The second one is here in the appendix: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10....
The third one is here, in mmc1.docx in the supplementary materials: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5886898/
The GCBS:
1. The government is involved in the murder of innocent citizens and/or well-known public figures, and keeps this a secret.
2. The power held by heads of state is second to that of small, unknown groups who really control world politics.
3. Secret organizations communicate with extraterrestrials, but keep this fact from the public.
4. The spread of certain viruses and/or diseases is the result of deliberate, concealed efforts of some organization.
5. Groups of scientists manipulate, fabricate or suppress evidence in order to deceive the public.
6. The government permits or perpetrates acts of terrorism on its own soil, disguising its involvement.
7. A small, secret group of people is responsible for making all major world decisions, such as going to war.
8. Evidence of alien contact is being concealed from the public.
9. Technology with mind-control capacities is used on people without their knowledge.
10. New and advanced technology, which would harm the current industry, is being suppressed.
11. The government uses people as patsies to hide its involvement in criminal activity.
12. Certain significant events have been the result of the activity of a small group who secretly manipulate world events.
13. Some UFO sightings and rumors are planned or staged in order to distract the public from real alien contact.
14. Experiments involving new drugs or technologies are routinely carried out on the public without their knowledge or consent.
15. A lot of important information is deliberately concealed from the public out of self-interest.
1. The government is involved in the murder of innocent citizens and/or well-known public figures, and keeps this a secret.
2. The power held by heads of state is second to that of small, unknown groups who really control world politics.
3. Secret organizations communicate with extraterrestrials, but keep this fact from the public.
4. The spread of certain viruses and/or diseases is the result of deliberate, concealed efforts of some organization.
5. Groups of scientists manipulate, fabricate or suppress evidence in order to deceive the public.
6. The government permits or perpetrates acts of terrorism on its own soil, disguising its involvement.
7. A small, secret group of people is responsible for making all major world decisions, such as going to war.
8. Evidence of alien contact is being concealed from the public.
9. Technology with mind-control capacities is used on people without their knowledge.
10. New and advanced technology, which would harm the current industry, is being suppressed.
11. The government uses people as patsies to hide its involvement in criminal activity.
12. Certain significant events have been the result of the activity of a small group who secretly manipulate world events.
13. Some UFO sightings and rumors are planned or staged in order to distract the public from real alien contact.
14. Experiments involving new drugs or technologies are routinely carried out on the public without their knowledge or consent.
15. A lot of important information is deliberately concealed from the public out of self-interest.
I think many are proven to be correct or likely to be correct. 1,2,4,5 etc
Especially 5 - you if you disbelieve that one you are saying that scientists never fabricate evidence.
That would be misreading the question. The important part is "in order to deceive the public", whereas the aim is mostly career advancement. Or being paid.
aye. publish or perish isn't a conspiracy, and tenure track ain't a thing unless you're hitting research home-runs.
I think that happens as well. EG discrediting even the possibility of the lab leak theory, or incest research in the UK Bio Bank.
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Replace extraterrestrials with intelligence agencies, and we've got most of the points nailed. Adjusts tin-foil hat
A lot of these are generic enough that you could get a lot of people to admit they believe in them, especially with the right definitions of words.
Even though the UFO/extraterrestrial stuff seems really kooky to me, there are plenty of people who probably believe it.
Even though the UFO/extraterrestrial stuff seems really kooky to me, there are plenty of people who probably believe it.
It’s very reductionist to consider the items on this list largely conspiracy theories.
> 10. New and advanced technology, which would harm the current industry, is being suppressed.
I don’t know, are you sure the folks at OpenAI, or some better-equipped competitor for that matter, haven’t came up with something more horrific than Sora?
> 10. New and advanced technology, which would harm the current industry, is being suppressed.
I don’t know, are you sure the folks at OpenAI, or some better-equipped competitor for that matter, haven’t came up with something more horrific than Sora?
Didn't Google have a chatbot locked up in a lab somewhere^0, long before ChatGPT?
0: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/12/google-en...
0: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/12/google-en...
I mean this is largely what The Innovators Dilemma was about, I thought?
I'm assuming they mean the US Government? Some of these are a bit far out, but I'd say some of them are plausible.
I mean 15 is proven every time an FOI request is denied.
I mean 15 is proven every time an FOI request is denied.
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The VCBS:
Vaccine safety data is often fabricated.
Immunizing children is harmful and this fact is covered up.
Pharmaceutical companies cover up the dangers of vaccines.
People are deceived about vaccine efficacy.
Vaccine efficacy data is often fabricated.
People are deceived about vaccine safety.
The government is trying to cover up the link between vaccines and autism.
Vaccine safety data is often fabricated.
Immunizing children is harmful and this fact is covered up.
Pharmaceutical companies cover up the dangers of vaccines.
People are deceived about vaccine efficacy.
Vaccine efficacy data is often fabricated.
People are deceived about vaccine safety.
The government is trying to cover up the link between vaccines and autism.
>> Pharmaceutical companies cover up the dangers of vaccines.
>> People are deceived about vaccine efficacy.
>> Vaccine efficacy data is often fabricated.
Not in every case, but I would certainly argue it could have happened.
Not in every case, but I would certainly argue it could have happened.
Arguably this one: People are deceived about vaccine safety.
Is it deceiving to argue something is "safe" when the person receiving the advice is not educated enough in vaccines or statistics to make a truly educated decision? A truthful description about the safety of any medicine involves a deep understanding of statistics, medical testing and general risk calculation.
Is it deceiving to argue something is "safe" when the person receiving the advice is not educated enough in vaccines or statistics to make a truly educated decision? A truthful description about the safety of any medicine involves a deep understanding of statistics, medical testing and general risk calculation.
The BCTI:
1. A powerful and secretive group, known as the New World Order, are planning to eventually rule the world through an autonomous world government, which would replace sovereign government.
2. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was produced under laboratory conditions as a biological weapon.
3. The US government had foreknowledge about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, but allowed the attack to take place so as to be able to enter the Second World War.
4. US agencies intentionally created the AIDS epidemic and administered it to Black and gay men in the 1970s.
5. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., was the result of an organised conspiracy by US government agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
6. The Apollo moon landings never happened and were staged in a Hollywood film studio.
7. Area 51 in Nevada, US, is a secretive military base that contains hidden alien spacecraft and/or alien bodies.
8. The US government allowed the 9/11 attacks to take place so that it would have an excuse to achieve foreign (e.g., wars in Afghanistan and Iraq) and domestic (e.g., attacks on civil liberties) goals that had been determined prior to the attacks.
9. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was not committed by the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, but was rather a detailed, organised conspiracy to kill the President.
10. In July 1947, the US military recovered the wreckage of an alien craft from Roswell, New Mexico, and covered up the fact.
11. Princess Diana’s death was not an accident, but rather an organised assassination by members of the British royal family who disliked her.
12. The Oklahoma City bombers, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, did not act alone, but rather received assistance from neo-Nazi groups.
13. The Coca Cola company intentionally changed to an inferior formula with the intent of driving up demand for their classic product, later reintroducing it for their financial gain.
14. Special interest groups are suppressing, or have suppressed in the past, technologies that could provide energy at reduced cost or reduced pollution output.
15. Government agencies in the UK are involved in the distribution of illegal drugs to ethnic minorities.
1. A powerful and secretive group, known as the New World Order, are planning to eventually rule the world through an autonomous world government, which would replace sovereign government.
2. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was produced under laboratory conditions as a biological weapon.
3. The US government had foreknowledge about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, but allowed the attack to take place so as to be able to enter the Second World War.
4. US agencies intentionally created the AIDS epidemic and administered it to Black and gay men in the 1970s.
5. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., was the result of an organised conspiracy by US government agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
6. The Apollo moon landings never happened and were staged in a Hollywood film studio.
7. Area 51 in Nevada, US, is a secretive military base that contains hidden alien spacecraft and/or alien bodies.
8. The US government allowed the 9/11 attacks to take place so that it would have an excuse to achieve foreign (e.g., wars in Afghanistan and Iraq) and domestic (e.g., attacks on civil liberties) goals that had been determined prior to the attacks.
9. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was not committed by the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, but was rather a detailed, organised conspiracy to kill the President.
10. In July 1947, the US military recovered the wreckage of an alien craft from Roswell, New Mexico, and covered up the fact.
11. Princess Diana’s death was not an accident, but rather an organised assassination by members of the British royal family who disliked her.
12. The Oklahoma City bombers, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, did not act alone, but rather received assistance from neo-Nazi groups.
13. The Coca Cola company intentionally changed to an inferior formula with the intent of driving up demand for their classic product, later reintroducing it for their financial gain.
14. Special interest groups are suppressing, or have suppressed in the past, technologies that could provide energy at reduced cost or reduced pollution output.
15. Government agencies in the UK are involved in the distribution of illegal drugs to ethnic minorities.
These are weirder than the other theories, but (2) is at least partially plausible (but rather as defence against a bio-weapon as gain of function research).
(12) wouldn't surprise me and charities are suppressing nuclear power for (14).
(12) wouldn't surprise me and charities are suppressing nuclear power for (14).
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> 5. The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., was the result of an organised conspiracy by US government agencies such as the CIA and FBI.
My understanding is that this is the sincere belief of King’s own immediate family. It is certainly in character for the FBI given what we know about COINTELPRO.
> 9. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was not committed by the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, but was rather a detailed, organised conspiracy to kill the President.
This was the determination of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1979.
> 14. Special interest groups are suppressing, or have suppressed in the past, technologies that could provide energy at reduced cost or reduced pollution output.
One of them is called “Greenpeace”.
My understanding is that this is the sincere belief of King’s own immediate family. It is certainly in character for the FBI given what we know about COINTELPRO.
> 9. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was not committed by the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, but was rather a detailed, organised conspiracy to kill the President.
This was the determination of the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1979.
> 14. Special interest groups are suppressing, or have suppressed in the past, technologies that could provide energy at reduced cost or reduced pollution output.
One of them is called “Greenpeace”.
Can't see the full text, but it would be interesting to see which conspiracies they chose.
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Mainstream beliefs are the ultimate conspiracy, mostly held by shallow npcs and arrogant fools. Those "researchers" are a joke.
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How do they establish, that a person has ‘Conspiracy Beliefs’?
> cross-sectional relations between self-reported conspiratorial ideation and measures
I think self reported is the key here.
I find it interesting that people would admit to 'believing' a conspiracy theory (which I see as a negative). I suspect they mockingly call it a conspiracy theory while internally believing it to be consistent (but I have no evidence for this). They seem like interesting people to study. Shame I can't read the text.
I think self reported is the key here.
I find it interesting that people would admit to 'believing' a conspiracy theory (which I see as a negative). I suspect they mockingly call it a conspiracy theory while internally believing it to be consistent (but I have no evidence for this). They seem like interesting people to study. Shame I can't read the text.
I would say they’re often no more interesting than anyone else.
My sister-in-law supposedly believes Princess Diana was assassinated, which is included in one of these lists of popular conspiracy theories. She might have other similar beliefs, but as far as I know, she’s a normal person with fairly normal (uncontroversial) beliefs.
To me, a single belief in A conspiracy theory is not that big of a deal. When someone starts believing in many of these, it gets more interesting.
My sister-in-law supposedly believes Princess Diana was assassinated, which is included in one of these lists of popular conspiracy theories. She might have other similar beliefs, but as far as I know, she’s a normal person with fairly normal (uncontroversial) beliefs.
To me, a single belief in A conspiracy theory is not that big of a deal. When someone starts believing in many of these, it gets more interesting.
I find this somewhat questionable. I would self report as a believer in conspiracy theories like:
* CIA using mind control studies on unwitting participants (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKUltra)
* A former US President conspired to try a putsch on the US Government on Jan 6th
* Russia is using Social Media farms to influence large scale of people (and that a lot of the degenerated political discourse in my home of Germany is fueled by it
* The German Secret Service (Verfassungsschutz) is deeply involved in the Murders of the NSU Terrorist Cell and itself infiltrated by right wing groups its supposed to protect us from
* The United States has Significant Data on UFOs that they are keeping from the people in Special Access Programs.
And so on. All of those were or are conspiracy Theories but they are either outright proven to have happened (first 3) or have significant evidence to back them up.
I am kinda doubtful those are the ones this study is concerned with though.
* CIA using mind control studies on unwitting participants (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKUltra)
* A former US President conspired to try a putsch on the US Government on Jan 6th
* Russia is using Social Media farms to influence large scale of people (and that a lot of the degenerated political discourse in my home of Germany is fueled by it
* The German Secret Service (Verfassungsschutz) is deeply involved in the Murders of the NSU Terrorist Cell and itself infiltrated by right wing groups its supposed to protect us from
* The United States has Significant Data on UFOs that they are keeping from the people in Special Access Programs.
And so on. All of those were or are conspiracy Theories but they are either outright proven to have happened (first 3) or have significant evidence to back them up.
I am kinda doubtful those are the ones this study is concerned with though.
If you believe in conspiratorial activities for which there is proof or substantial evidence, then they're no longer theories, right?
A conspiracy theory is a theorized conspiracy, not just any given incident in history where a conspiracy has occurred.
The reason people express 'belief' in conspiracy theories is because they by definition are making a leap of faith on something that isn't widely considered verified or proven.
The reason people express 'belief' in conspiracy theories is because they by definition are making a leap of faith on something that isn't widely considered verified or proven.
The unacceptable point of compromise (different for each individual) drives people to the negative emotional traits due to their human inability to understand what happened to their culture beyond a simple folklore sense of it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofstede%27s_cultural_dimensio...