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The relationship of belief in conspiracy theories and attitudes toward politicians with different leadership styles

Alexander Gnezdilov described the results of his study

The relationship of belief in conspiracy theories and attitudes toward politicians with different leadership styles

Rick Barrett on Unsplash

Sometimes we find that politicians spread conspiracy theories among citizens. Some researchers argue that they need to do so in order to justify their actions and thereby gain support among citizens. But can an individual's belief in conspiracy theories really lead to support for a politician? To answer this question, it is important to consider several features: what kind of leadership style the politician has; what kind of conspiracy theories people believe in and how people perceive the situation in the country. 

In the seminar, we discussed the results of a study that examined the relationship between authoritarian and democratic leadership styles, belief in pro-systemic and anti-systemic conspiracy theories, and attitudes toward a politician in different situations.