Trust and Conspiratorial Thinking: Distinguishing Between Conspiracy Mentality, Suspicion and Theory Beliefs

Was the COVID-19 pandemic orchestrated by a secret elite, or does the government simply filter certain truths? While both statements reflect conspiracy thinking, they refer to different rationalities. This study contributes to the debate on the definitions of conspiracy mentality, suspicion and theories by examining their relationships with trust. Analysing a nationally representative survey data from Spain, the study shows that lower levels of trust predict greater levels of belief in conspiracy theories and suspicion, while conspiracy mentality remains stable regardless of trust levels. The research concludes that different forms of conspiracy thinking have distinct social significance and do not relate to trust in the same way.