Associations between belief in conspiracy theories and the maladaptive personality traits of the personality inventory for DSM-5

Swami V 1 , Weis L 2 , Lay A 3 , Barron D 4 , Furnham A 2

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK; Department of Psychology, HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: viren.swami@anglia.ac.uk
  • 2 Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
  • 3 Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
  • 4 Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK
Psychiatry Res, 2016 Feb 28;236:86-90.
PMID: 26776299 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.12.027

Abstract

Conspiracy theories can be treated as both rational narratives of the world as well as outcomes of underlying maladaptive traits. Here, we examined associations between belief in conspiracy theories and individual differences in personality disorders. An Internet-based sample (N=259) completed measures of belief in conspiracy theories and the 25 facets of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5). Preliminary analyses showed no significant differences in belief in conspiracy theories across participant sex, ethnicity, and education. Regression analyses showed that the PID-5 facets of Unusual Beliefs and Experiences and, to a lesser extent, Suspiciousness, significantly predicted belief in conspiracy theories. These findings highlight a role for maladaptive personality traits in understanding belief in conspiracy theories, but require further investigation.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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