Political Extremism and Conspiracy Theory Beliefs

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: It has been proposed that political extremists are more likely to endorse conspiracy theories. Although politically extreme and conspiratorial beliefs vary greatly in their content, previous research has indicated they may be driven by similar psychological processes. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between political extremism and conspiracy theory belief. It built upon previous work by Van Prooijen et al. (2015) and Krouwel et al. (2017) by testing whether this relationship is confounded by psychopathology. METHODS: A total of 300 participants completed a cross-sectional survey that contained measures of political orientation, conspiracy theory belief, and psychopathology (including the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire - Brief Revision and Peters Delusions Inventory). RESULTS: This study found weak evidence of an association between political extremism and conspiracy theory beliefs. However, more refined political measures instead supported associations with specific types of political extremism. Although psychopathology scores were positively associated with conspiracy theory beliefs, they were not associated with political beliefs. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a need for future research that explores the causal direction of any potential relationships. Additionally, it may be valuable to explore how specific conspiracy theories cluster around different political persuasions.