Research Report: Psychological Factors in Conspiracy Theory Acceptance

This research report investigates the psychological variables influencing the acceptance of conspiracy theories. The study, conducted with a sample from Australia, explores the relationships between belief in conspiracy theories and personality traits such as extraversion, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, along with CMQ scores. The methodology involves a survey using established scales to measure conspiracist ideation and personality traits. The results indicate significant correlations between belief in conspiracy theories and neuroticism, conscientiousness, and CMQ scores, while no significant associations were found with extraversion, openness, and agreeableness. The report discusses these findings in the context of existing literature, highlighting the roles of epistemic, social, and existential motives in shaping conspiracy beliefs, along with limitations and future research directions. The study suggests that personality traits, such as neuroticism and conscientiousness, may play a role in shaping an individual's susceptibility to believing in conspiracy theories. The report concludes by summarizing the findings and the implications of the research.