Date of Conferral

4-2-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Susan Marcus

Abstract

Belief in conspiracy theories has been linked to prejudice and societal instability, underscoring the importance of understanding the psychological factors that shape such beliefs. This quantitative correlational survey research examined the extent to which moral development, religiosity, achieved belongingness, collective narcissism, and political party affiliation predict conspiracy theory beliefs. Wood’s three-tier model of conspiracy theory beliefs provided the conceptual framework for the study. Using validated quantitative measures in an anonymous, demographically stratified sample (N = 279), a stepwise regression analysis assessed how individual and group-level factors contribute to conspiratorial thinking. Although political party affiliation was not an initial focus, preliminary analyses revealed significant group differences, prompting its inclusion as a predictor variable. Political party affiliation emerged as the strongest predictor, accounting for 11.6% of the variance, followed by achieved belongingness (3.7%), collective narcissism (2.7%), and quest religiosity (1.6%). These findings suggest that political party affiliation plays an influential role in conspiracy belief formation within today’s politically polarized climate. This highlights the need for future research examining how political alignment interacts with psychological and social psychological processes. Implications for social change include strengthening individual belongingness, expanding civic and media literacy education, cultivating ethical and participatory leadership, and reducing political and religious polarization to support democratic resilience.

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