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Heuristic Processing and Conspiracy Endorsement

Vaughen, William
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu165643295063459

Abstract Details

2022, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Media and Communication.
Scholarship on conspiracy theories, a relatively young domain of research, lacks a firm theoretical foundation. The existing literature on conspiracy theories includes numerous distinct theoretical perspectives explaining the antecedents of conspiracy beliefs. While some evidence exists to support each perspective, no single theory or model accounts for the range of variables and effects associated with belief in conspiracy theories. This thesis discusses the various ways conspiracy belief and conspiratorial thinking have been conceptualized, the variables they include, and the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. This study proposes that the Heuristic Systematic Model may serve as a means of understanding the effects associated with belief in conspiracy theories. To test this premise, 195 participants were recruited for an online study. Participants read a short story about a mysterious epidemic localized to a small town with no clear cause. Participants then rated the plausibility of two conflicting explanations for the events presented in the story, one conspiratorial and one non-conspiratorial. Anxiety and systematic thinking were manipulated to test their influence on the perceived plausibility of the two stories. Results suggest individuals processing information more heuristically were more likely to endorse a conspiratorial explanation for ambiguous events, whereas individuals processing information more systematically were less likely to endorse conspiratorial explanations. These results support the idea that conspiracy beliefs can be attributed to greater heuristic processing.
Frederick Busselle, Ph.D (Committee Chair)
Laura Stafford, Ph.D (Committee Member)
Yanqin Lu, Ph.D (Committee Member)
51 p.
Communication
conspiracy theories; conspiracy beliefs; heuristic processing; heuristic systematic model

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Vaughen, W. (2022). Heuristic Processing and Conspiracy Endorsement [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu165643295063459

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Vaughen, William. Heuristic Processing and Conspiracy Endorsement. 2022. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu165643295063459.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Vaughen, William. "Heuristic Processing and Conspiracy Endorsement." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu165643295063459

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu165643295063459
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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.