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Imagine a dinner with friends where one of them starts talking about conspiracy theories. You feel a sudden tension in the air. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology reveals that these beliefs can seriously harm our relationships unless everyone is like-minded.
During the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of political movements like QAnon, conspiracy theories have become more popular, sometimes to the point of tearing families apart or breaking up relationships. Daniel Toribio-Flórez, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kent, wanted to verify the effect that conspiracy beliefs can have on interpersonal relationships.
For this, he led a study in several phases, including pilot studies and main studies. Pilot studies revealed a negative association between conspiracy beliefs and relationship satisfaction. For example, participants reported less satisfaction in their relationships with people they perceived to believe in conspiracy theories. These preliminary results supported the hypothesis that conspiracy beliefs can harm interpersonal relationships, especially when these beliefs are not shared.
The main study was designed to further examine this association. The researchers recruited 201 participants, each asked to provide data on two people in their social network: one person perceived to believe in conspiracy theories and another perceived to not believe in them. Participants then rated their relationship satisfaction with each of these people, as well as their emotional and relational closeness.
Results showed that participants were significantly less satisfied with their relationships with people perceived to believe in conspiracy theories, compared to those who did not believe in them. Additionally, they felt less emotionally and psychologically close to these people. This effect was particularly strong among participants who themselves had low conspiracy beliefs.
To go further, researchers conducted experiments to demonstrate the impact of conspiracy beliefs on relationships. In one study, 801 participants were recruited. They first assessed their relationship satisfaction with a person in their social network. Then, they were divided into two groups: one imagining that this person expressed conspiracy beliefs, and the other imagining that they rejected them.
Results showed that participants anticipated a decrease in their relationship satisfaction when they imagined the person expressing conspiracy beliefs, especially among those who had low conspiracy beliefs themselves. In contrast, those who imagined that the person rejected these beliefs did not show a significant change in their relationship satisfaction.
Other studies have examined how conspiracy beliefs influence trust and behaviors in relationships. For example, one study showed that participants anticipated a decline in trust and relationship satisfaction when they imagined someone in their social network expressing conspiracy beliefs. This effect was more pronounced among those who themselves held low conspiracy beliefs.
Another study examined how conspiracy beliefs influence first impressions in the context of online dating. Participants rated dating profiles, with some expressing conspiracy beliefs and others not. Results showed that participants anticipated lower relationship satisfaction with people expressing conspiracy beliefs, especially if they had low conspiracy beliefs themselves.
“In our studies, we found that if one person perceives the other person in the relationship as believing in conspiracy theories or as explicitly endorsing them, the former will likely perceive lower relationship satisfaction and the other person as less close, on the relational and attitudinal level“, Daniel Toribio-Flórez told PsyPost. “In contrast, if both people in the relationship share a belief in conspiracy theories, perceived relationship satisfaction will likely be similar, and it may even improve“.