The Effects of Racial Attitudes on Conspiracy Theory Beliefs

• In Event: Discrimination, Racial Attitudes, and Public Opinion

Abstract

Numerous conspiracy theories are about racial and ethnic groups, but the role of racial attitudes as predictors of conspiracy theory beliefs remains underexplored. I expand upon recent studies involving racial and non-racial conspiracy theories to investigate the connection between racial resentment and support for conspiracy theories. This study involves a survey experiment with undergraduate students. Participants answered questions about demographics, racial resentment, ethnocentrism, political trust, and political knowledge. Participants then encountered one of three emotional manipulations. Participants were then presented with several conspiracy theories and asked how likely each conspiracy theory was to be true. Both racial and non-racial conspiracy theories were included. Results include that racial resentment was a strong predictor of both racial and non-racial conspiracy theories. Emotions were a strong predictor of conspiracy theories in certain contexts, such as conspiracy theories involving the US government. The findings suggest racial attitudes are associated with overall conspiracy theory support while contextual emotions are associated with specific conspiracy theories. This study is part of my on-going dissertation research on understanding how racial attitudes lead to support for conspiracy theories.
 

Author

• Jillian Andres Rothschild, University of Maryland