Conspiracy theories and the conspiracy mindset: implications for political ideology
- Conspiracy beliefs have important political correlates and consequences, which can undermine trust and participation in democratic processes.
- They are not the preserve of the ideological left or right, and are more common at ideological extremes, though may be strongest at the extreme right.
- There are reliable individual differences in a generalized predisposition to believe in conspiracy theories.
- This predisposition has been characterized as a conspiracy mindset, and more specifically a generalized political attitude.
- Problems with this characterization and alternative ways of understanding the ideological significance of conspiracy theories are discussed