The effectiveness of a scientific reasoning intervention for conspiracy theory beliefs |
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Authors: | Neophytos Georgiou Paul Delfabbro Ryan Balzan |
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Affiliation: | 1. School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia;2. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia |
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Abstract: | Conspiracy theory (CT) beliefs have become an important policy-relevant research area since the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing interest has been directed towards strategies that might reduce people's susceptibility to conspiratorial beliefs. In this study, we examined whether encouraging a stronger orientation towards critical scientific appraisal of conspiratorial accounts could reduce CT acceptance. After completing baseline measures of COVID-19 related beliefs and analytical and scientific reasoning abilities, a total of 700 adults were randomly allocated to a control or scientific reasoning manipulation. People assigned to the scientific reasoning condition were found to display significantly lower CT belief endorsement post-intervention as compared to the control group. As well as having implications for the design of future intervention studies, the results of this study encourage a greater focus on specific reasoning skills that may be amenable to a psychoeducation approach, in order to further develop methods to prevent CT beliefs. |
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Keywords: | analytical thinking autistic traits conspiracy beliefs experimental design misinformation effect psychoeducation schizotypy scientific reasoning |
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