Conspiracy theory mentality, injustice and tolerance of ambiguity

Abstract

This study examines demographic, ideology, and work personality correlates of the endorsement of Conspiracy Theories (CTs). In all, 253 English-speaking adults from various countries completed a shortened version of Bruder et al.'s Conspiracy Theory measure including beliefs about Cover-Ups, which was found to be an internally valid and reliable measure of conspiracy mentality. Participant sex, age, religious beliefs, and a sense of Injustice in the World correlated significantly with the CT score along with three traits (Adjustment, Tolerance of Ambiguity, and Competitiveness). A regression indicated that 3 of the 14 variables examined were significant and accounted for a fifth of the variance. More religious participants, who believed the world was unjust and had lower Tolerance of Ambiguity scores, tended to have higher CT scores. Implications and limitations of the study are acknowledged.