| Recent research indicates that the belief in conspiracy theories is a unique predictor of a
wide variety of common public policy issues, suggesting that this belief is something policy
scholars can no longer ignore, or write off. As the belief in conspiracy theories has become more
prevalent in the United States, this has led to more questions as to who are believing in
conspiracy theories and why they are believing in them. This research will examine if certain
personality traits are more likely to predict belief in conspiracy theories. Using a large national
public opinion survey, this project examines the impact of the Big Five personality traits
(openness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness, and extroversion) on an individual’s
belief in conspiracy theories. Analyses reveal that conspiracy theorist have unique personality
traits that differentiate them from non-conspiracy theorists.
Keywords: Conspiracy Theories, Big5, Big 5 Personality Traits, Political Behavior, Behavior |