On the measurement of conspiracy beliefs:

Research & Politics

Adam M. Enders¹ 

关键词: Conspiracy theory;    partisanship;    motivated reasoning;    question wording;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2053168018763596

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

Are so-called “birthers” best thought of as true conspiracy theorists, or are they merely partisans expressing a sharp dislike of Barack Obama? Recent work on conspiracy beliefs finds that “birthers” are the product of partisan and ideological motivated reasoning. In this manuscript, we explore how the measurement strategies we employ on public opinion surveys may influence the substantive conclusions we draw about conspiratorial beliefs, rumors, and misinformation. We find that partisan stimuli influence reported beliefs in several different conspiracy theories, and, subsequently, the relationships between individual stated beliefs in those conspiracy theories. The implications of these findings are discussed.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-ND