Research co-authored by Professor Karen Douglas of the School of Psychology has found that the belief in conspiracy theories is heightened as adolescents reach 14 years of age.
The study led by Dr Daniel Jolley at Northumbria University alongside Professor Douglas, Dr Yvonne Skipper (Glasgow), Eleanor Thomas (Birmingham) and Darel Cookson (Nottingham Trent), has uncovered that belief in conspiracy theories flourishes in teenage years. More specifically, the team of psychologists found that 14 is the age adolescents are most likely to start believing in conspiracy theories, with beliefs remaining constant into early adulthood.
The findings, published by the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, were discovered using the first ever scientific measure of conspiracy beliefs suitable for analysing younger populations, called the Adolescent Conspiracy Beliefs Questionnaire (ACBQ) – developed and validated with funding from the British Academy.
Academics worked with secondary school teachers to devise an initial list of 36 questions for the ACBQ. The questions were then tested on a range of young people from schools across the UK through multiple studies, allowing the team to confirm a list of nine questions that effectively measure young people’s belief in conspiracy theories.
With around 60% of British people believing in at least one conspiracy theory, understanding their popularity is important. Despite their significance, however, all existing research on conspiracy theories has been conducted with adults, and research methods used to measure conspiracy beliefs have been designed only with adults in mind. Therefore, this research presents new insights into when and why conspiracy beliefs develop in young people, and how these beliefs change over time.
Dr Jolley said: ‘Our project has put the spotlight on young people’s conspiracy beliefs for the first time. As part of our scale construction, we uncovered initial evidence that paranoia and mistrust are associated with conspiracy beliefs in young populations. We also found that by the age of 14, conspiracy beliefs appeared to remain constant. Exploring the psychological antecedents and consequences of conspiracy thinking in younger populations is important and timely.’
Professor Douglas added: ‘To fully understand the impact of conspiracy theories in society, we need to appreciate how these beliefs develop and change over time. Our research opens up new opportunities to probe further into the psychology of conspiracy theories.’
Vanessa Cuthill, Director of Research at the British Academy, said: ‘The British Academy is proud to support research that helps deepen our understanding of people and society. High-quality, independent research in the humanities and social sciences points us towards new ways to think about our most pressing concerns. This study is a great example, providing us with new ways in which we can learn more about the origins of conspiracy beliefs and the impact social media and digital technology have on the lives of young people.’
The paper titled ‘Measuring adolescents’ beliefs in conspiracy theories: Development and validation of the Adolescent Conspiracy Beliefs Questionnaire (ACBQ)’ is published by the British Journal of Developmental Psychology. DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12368