Belief in a Just World and Conspiracy Theories: The role of Ambiguity Tolerance and Scientific Reasoning Skills
Date
2023
Authors
O'Brien, Clare Elizabeth
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Thesis
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Abstract
Belief in a Just World and conspiracy theories represent two forms of beliefs that have each gained significant attention as distinct concepts. Despite operating under different principles, they both share theoretical and functional similarities, suggesting an underlying association. By examining this previously minimally investigated association, the present study aims to provide new insights into the factors that influence conspiracy theory engagement. The study extends previous research by exploring the moderating effect of ambiguity tolerance and scientific reasoning skills on the association between belief in a just world as a predictor of conspiracy theories. A sample of 162 participants completed an observational online survey of self-report measures and a scientific reasoning task. The findings suggest that when individuals have low ambiguity tolerance, belief in a just world negatively predicts conspiracy theory engagement. However, when ambiguity tolerance is high, there is no association. This interaction effect highlights the adaptive role that belief in a just world may play when considering conspiracy theory engagement. While this study has limitations, it demonstrates a novel moderating effect that provides further insight to the individual difference predictors of conspiracy theory engagement. Future research is required to replicate this effect under experimental conditions.
School/Discipline
School of Psychology
Dissertation Note
Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2023
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