Psychology News
A team of researchers at the University of Nottingham explored the link between workplace bullying and conspiracy theories. The study is published in the journal Social Psychology.
The Study
The researchers conducted two studies. In the first study, they interviewed 273 victims of bullying about conspiracy beliefs. In the second study, 206 participants were asked to imagine possible experiences of workplace bullying and report their inclination to believe in conspiracy theories.
Participants from both studies completed assessments of bullying experiences, paranoia, and conspiracy theories.
The Findings
The results revealed that people who are bullied in the workplace tend to develop an increased belief in conspiracy theories.
The authors elaborated: “Our work showcases how conspiracy beliefs can form because of circumstances we all could fall prey to, such as being bullied. When a hostile environment primes us to search for meaning, we may find a conspiracy explanation particularly appealing. Bullying is an occurrence that we have all likely observed or been the victim of ourselves. This new work uncovered an unexpected consequence of such experiences, the development of conspiracy beliefs.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Jolley, D., & Lantian, A. (2022). Bullying and conspiracy theories: Experiences of workplace bullying and the tendency to engage in conspiracy theorizing. Social Psychology, 53(4), 198–208. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000492