UCLA Anderson School of Management

Title: Conspiracy Theories and the Search for Structure

Abstract: Conspiracy theories cast disparate or unrelated entities as engaging in concerted, malevolent action. In this talk, I explore antecedents and consequences of beliefs in conspiracy theories. I first present evidence that individual characteristics (i.e., regulatory focus, political identity) and aspects about the environment (i.e., COVID-19 and social media) shape peoples’ receptiveness to conspiratorial beliefs. I then examine a timely consequence of conspiracy theories. Specifically, how COVID-19-related conspiratorial beliefs have had a significant negative impact on the perception of COVID-19 vaccine importance in the U.S.. Finally, I suggest a possible intervention that may help ameliorate the adverse effect of conspiratorial beliefs. In particular, interdependent self-construal may mitigate the relationship between the COVID-19-related conspiratorial beliefs and reduced vaccination rates by increasing the perceived health risks of going unvaccinated. Our intervention differs from previous efforts in that it does not rely on rational persuasion to dissuade people of conspiratorial notions. Instead, we focus on reducing the impact of conspiratorial beliefs by altering the way people think about their existing identities and groups.