Trust and Conspiratorial Thinking

Distinguishing Between Conspiracy Mentality, Suspicion and Theory Beliefs

Bibliographic Data

ID12738136
AuthorsTürkay Salim Nefes (0000-0002-0294-2064, corresponding author), Francisco Herreros (0000-0002-5802-625X)
Year2025
Publication date2025-08-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Studies Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1478-9299 • E-ISSN: 1478-9302
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14789299251361780
OpenAlexW4413165441
LanguageEN
References cited16

Was the COVID-19 pandemic orchestrated by a secret elite, or does the government simply filter certain truths? While both statements reflect conspiracy thinking, they refer to different rationalities. This study contributes to the debate on the definitions of conspiracy mentality, suspicion and theories by examining their relationships with trust. Analysing a nationally representative survey data from Spain, the study shows that lower levels of trust predict greater levels of belief in conspiracy theories and suspicion, while conspiracy mentality remains stable regardless of trust levels. The research concludes that different forms of conspiracy thinking have distinct social significance and do not relate to trust in the same way

Epistemology · Media Influence and Politics · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology