Nick Fox
@nickfoxnz.bsky.social
doctor of clinical psychology, interested in conspiracy theories
tldr: we found very limited evidence for distress subsequently increasing belief in conspiracy theories using a longitudinal survey sampling participants 7 times over ~6 months - and no evidence for belief in conspiracy theories worsening distress over time
New research challenges the idea of a ‘vicious cycle’ between psychological distress and conspiracy beliefs
One prominent theory says conspiracy beliefs are triggered by elevated distress. But a new study finds limited evidence to support this claim.
theconversation.com
October 12, 2025 at 8:14 PM
tldr: we found very limited evidence for distress subsequently increasing belief in conspiracy theories using a longitudinal survey sampling participants 7 times over ~6 months - and no evidence for belief in conspiracy theories worsening distress over time