Conspiracist Knowledge

Conspiracy theories are often studied primarily through the lens of belief itself, without considering the degree of personal investment in the subculture surrounding those beliefs (e.g., specialized websites, forums, and YouTube channels). In particular, individuals with high levels of conspiracy beliefs might only engage superficially, while others demonstrate substantial involvement by actively seeking out and acquiring knowledge of the conspiracy subculture. To investigate how conspiracist knowledge moderates the impact of conspiracy beliefs on attitudes and behaviors, the present work present the concept of conspiracist knowledge. First, we show results of a pilot study tested a wide range of potential items measuring conspiracist knowledge across eight countries, resulting in a refined, comparatively reliable battery of questions. Second, the finalized measure was assessed in terms of reliability, face validity, and its psychological, political, and socio-economic correlates. Third, we employ two studies in the UK and the US to compare conspiracist knowledge with political knowledge. Finally, we examine how individuals exhibiting both high belief and high knowledge show stronger endorsement of political violence, in contrast to those who endorse conspiracy theories but do not invest in learning about the conspiracy subculture. These findings offer new insights into how deeper cognitive investment can amplify the negative societal and political consequences of conspiracy beliefs.