THEORETICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSPIRACY THEORY BELIEF AND PERSONALITY CONTROL LOCUS

Abstract

The article highlights the results of a theoretical study of psychological and philosophical sources on the relationship between conspiracy theory belief and the locus of personality control. The phenomenon of conspiracy theory has been studied by the scientists from various fields of knowledge: philosophy, sociology, mathematics, history, political science. However, the conspiracy theory under the prism of psychological teachings has been studied mainly by foreign scientists. In particular, there is a number of works on the problem of conspiratorial thinking, patterns of conspiratorial worldview, emotional and cognitive aspects of belief in conspiracy theory of the individual and the relationship of this belief with political cynicism and disobedience to power; paranoid and schizotypal tendencies of personality. The article reveals the author’s vision of the concept of belief in the theory of conspiracy and its connection with the personality control locus. Belief in conspiracy theory is an integrated mental formation characterized by an individual’s belief in the truth of certain judgments or views that are the result of a secret plan of a group of influential people (elites) or organizations. This faith has several components, namely: a cognitive component, characterized by uncritical thinking, analysis and understanding of information; an emotional and motivational component that is characterized by the presence of fears, emotional sensitivity, activation of motives that motivate mystical teachings; a behavioral component that includes conformity of behavior, imitation of behavioral patterns of others, personal willingness to believe in conspiracy theories and mystical phenomena, dysthymic or stuck type of character accentuation. In our opinion, a person’s commitment to confessing conspiratorial views is connected with the locus of subjective control - a property of the individual, which is manifested in the tendency to seek a source of control over their life in the external environment, or to see it in themselves. Taken this into account, the article reveals the characteristic features of belief in the conspiracy theory of individuals with external and internal locus of control.

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