Narcissistic susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs exaggerated by education, reduced by cognitive reflection

Conspiracy theories are alternate viewpoints of provided explanations; sensational stories revolving around small groups exerting control for nefarious reasons. Recent events and research have outlined myriad negative social personal outcomes those who endorse them. Prior suggests several predictors susceptibility to conspiracy theories, including narcissistic personality traits (grandiosity, need uniqueness), cognitive processes (critical thinking, confirmation bias) lack education. The aim the current paper was explore how facets narcissism predict theories. It expected that would be a positive predictor, but education reflection act as protective factors, reducing this effect. Study one utilized an international survey ( N = 323) investigate role tool in relationship between conspiratorial beliefs. Support found hypotheses individuals with higher levels grandiosity, vulnerable narcissism, strive uniqueness, supremacy predicted endorsement. Higher STEM were associated lower endorsement, however all significant moderations indicated individuals, increased their likelihood adopting beliefs, contrary expectation. To further, study two analyzed large-scale publicly available dataset 51,404) assess critical thinking skills (specifically reflection) beliefs pertaining COVID-19 pandemic. As expected, analysis poor (intuitive thinking) protective, moderating impact on endorsement findings suggest reflection, not protect against belief. Moreover, may lessened effect adopted or ideological These improve understanding both limitations education/critical factors theory