Article Accepted Manuscript

The conspiracy hoax? Testing key hypotheses about the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Bruder, Martin
Kunert, Laura

Abstract / Description

Conspiracy beliefs are ubiquitous in the current COVID-19 pandemic. This may be because they directly affect own and others' health and economic outcomes due to detrimental effects on preventive behaviour. We aimed to (a) test key hypotheses on the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories in this high-threat real-life setting, (b) examine the role of trust in mediating effects of conspiracy beliefs on preventive behaviour, and (c) thereby inform the public health response. Using cross-sectional data (N=1,013) from the German COVID-19 monitoring we tested the relationships between conspiracy beliefs and (a) social and economic worries, (b) trust in media, the government, public health institutions, and science, and (c) hygiene-related and contact-related preventive behaviour. Results were in line with expectations apart from null findings for the relationships with social worries and hygiene-related preventive behaviour. Trust in government mediated effects of conspiracy beliefs on contact-related preventive behaviour.
This is a postprint of: Bruder, M., & Kunert, L. (2021). The conspiracy hoax? Testing key hypotheses about the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories during the COVID‐19 pandemic. International Journal of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12769

Keyword(s)

coronavirus pandemic conspiracy ideation public health messaging social distancing government trust

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2020-08

Journal title

International Journal of Psychology

Publisher

PsychArchives

Publication status

accepted version

Review status

reviewed

Is version of

Citation

Bruder, M., & Kunert, L. (2020). The conspiracy hoax? Testing key hypotheses about the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4785
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Bruder, Martin
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Kunert, Laura
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2021-04-27T11:27:07Z
  • Made available on
    2021-04-27T11:27:07Z
  • Date of first publication
    2020-08
  • Abstract / Description
    Conspiracy beliefs are ubiquitous in the current COVID-19 pandemic. This may be because they directly affect own and others' health and economic outcomes due to detrimental effects on preventive behaviour. We aimed to (a) test key hypotheses on the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories in this high-threat real-life setting, (b) examine the role of trust in mediating effects of conspiracy beliefs on preventive behaviour, and (c) thereby inform the public health response. Using cross-sectional data (N=1,013) from the German COVID-19 monitoring we tested the relationships between conspiracy beliefs and (a) social and economic worries, (b) trust in media, the government, public health institutions, and science, and (c) hygiene-related and contact-related preventive behaviour. Results were in line with expectations apart from null findings for the relationships with social worries and hygiene-related preventive behaviour. Trust in government mediated effects of conspiracy beliefs on contact-related preventive behaviour.
    en
  • Abstract / Description
    This is a postprint of: Bruder, M., & Kunert, L. (2021). The conspiracy hoax? Testing key hypotheses about the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories during the COVID‐19 pandemic. International Journal of Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12769
    en
  • Publication status
    accepted version
    en
  • Review status
    reviewed
    en
  • Citation
    Bruder, M., & Kunert, L. (2020). The conspiracy hoax? Testing key hypotheses about the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic. PsychArchives. https://doi.org/10.23668/PSYCHARCHIVES.4785
    en
  • ISSN
    1464-066X
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4224
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4785
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
    en
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12769
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.3158
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.2776
  • Keyword(s)
    coronavirus pandemic
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    conspiracy ideation
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    public health messaging
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    social distancing
    en
  • Keyword(s)
    government trust
    en
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    The conspiracy hoax? Testing key hypotheses about the correlates of generic beliefs in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic
    en
  • DRO type
    article
    en
  • Leibniz subject classification
    Psychologie
    de_DE
  • Leibniz subject classification
    Sozialwissenschaften
    de_DE
  • Journal title
    International Journal of Psychology
    en
  • Visible tag(s)
    Accepted Manuscript
  • Visible tag(s)
    COSMO
    en
  • Visible tag(s)
    COSMO-DE
    en