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Dissociation, cognitive reflection and health literacy have modest effect on belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

V. Pisl  and
J. Vevera
V. Pisl*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Pilsen, Charles University, Department Of Psychiatry, Plzen, Czech Republic
J. Vevera
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Department Of Psychiatry, Plzen, Czech Republic
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Understanding the predictors of belief in covid-related conspiracy theories and willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid the resolution of current and future pandemics.

Objectives

We aim to investigate how psychological and cognitive characteristics influence general conspiracy mentality and covid-related conspiracy theories.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n=866) collected in January 2021, using multivariate linear regression and mediation analysis.

Results

Sixteen percent of respondents believed that COVID-19 is a hoax; 17% believed that COVID-19 was intentionally created by humans. Seven percent of the variance of the hoax theory and 10% of the variance of the creation theory was explained by (in descending order of relevance) low cognitive reflection, low digital health literacy, high experience with dissociation and, to some extent, high bullshit receptivity. Belief in covid-related conspiracy theories depended less on psychological and cognitive variables compared to conspiracy mentality (16% of the variance explained). The effect of digital health literacy on belief in covid-related theories was moderated by cognitive reflection.

Conclusions

Belief in conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 was influenced by experience with dissociation, cognitive reflection, digital health literacy and bullshit receptivity.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

conspiracy theoriesconspiracy mentalityCovid-19health literacy
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S202
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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