Considering COVID a hoax is ‘gateway’ to belief in conspiracy theories, study finds
A new study has found that people who consider the COVID pandemic a hoax are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, found that people who believed that the pandemic was a hoax were more likely to also believe in other conspiracy theories, such as the existence of secret government mind control programmes, or that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the US government.
Lead author Dr Robbie Sutton said that the study provides “strong evidence” that belief in one conspiracy theory can lead to belief in others.
“Our findings suggest that conspiracy theories are not isolated or independent phenomena, but form part of a broader worldview that sees the world as controlled by powerful and secretive forces,” he said.
The study, which is published in the journal PLOS ONE, surveyed nearly 4,000 people from across the world.
participants were asked about their beliefs regarding the COVID pandemic, as well as their beliefs in other conspiracy theories.
The researchers found that those who believed that the pandemic was a hoax were more likely to also believe in other conspiracy theories, such as the existence of secret government mind control programmes, or that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated by the US government.
Dr Sutton said that the findings suggest that conspiracy theories “breed on themselves”, and that exposure to one theory can make people more susceptible to others.
“Our findings have important implications for how we think about conspiracy theories,” he said.
“They suggest that we should be careful about dismissing all conspiracy theories as irrational – some may have a kernel of truth that makes them more believable.
“And we should be aware that exposure to one conspiracy theory can make people more susceptible to others.”
Those who think that the Covid-19 pandemic is a hoax are more likely to believe in other conspiracy theories, according to a new study.
The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggest that people who think that the pandemic is a hoax are also more likely to think that the moon landing was faked, that 9/11 was an inside job, and that the Earth is flat.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, surveyed nearly 1,000 people about their beliefs regarding the pandemic and other conspiracies.
The researchers found that those who believed that the pandemic was a hoax were also more likely to endorse other conspiracy theories.
“Our findings suggest that conspiracy theories are not isolated beliefs, but are part of a broader worldview that sees the world as governed by malevolent forces,” said study author Kristen Coulson.
The findings have implications for how we understand and respond to conspiracy theories, the researchers say.
“Given the current pandemic, it is important to understand how and why people are drawn to conspiracy theories,” Coulson said. “If we can understand the psychology behind conspiracy theories, we can develop interventions to prevent their spread.”
