College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Sandra Virtue, PhD

Second Advisor

David Allbritton, PhD

Abstract

Previous research shows that individuals who are assigned different goals for reading remember and comprehend text differently, which might also influence how individuals read texts that contain conspiracy theories. This research has revealed a connection between scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) and conspiracy theory belief, such that those who score higher are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of reading goals (i.e., study vs entertainment) and different types of conspiracy theories (i.e., familiar and less familiar) on participant’s believability ratings for conspiracy texts. Participants were assigned a reading goal prior to reading texts containing either a familiar or less familiar text. Next, participants provided believability and familiarity ratings, and reading times were recorded. Then, participants completed a multiple-choice test on their memory for each text, the SPQ-B, and a demographics questionnaire. As predicted, participants rated the familiar conspiracies as more believable than less familiar conspiracies. Contrary to our predictions, reading goals and SPQ-B did not significantly affect believability ratings, memory scores, or reading times. These findings suggest that familiarity may play a role in shaping how individuals believe in conspiracy theories presented in a text.

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