Research Article

Unanswered questions: A preliminary investigation of personality and individual difference predictors of 9/11 conspiracist beliefs

  1. Viren Swami1,2,*,
  2. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic3,
  3. Adrian Furnham4

Article first published online: 15 MAY 2009

DOI: 10.1002/acp.1583

Issue

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Volume 24, Issue 6, pages 749–761, September 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Swami, V., Chamorro-Premuzic, T. and Furnham, A. (2010), Unanswered questions: A preliminary investigation of personality and individual difference predictors of 9/11 conspiracist beliefs. Appl. Cognit. Psychol., 24: 749–761. doi: 10.1002/acp.1583

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, UK

  2. 2

    Department of Psychology, HELP University College, Malaysia

  3. 3

    Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

  4. 4

    Department of Psychology, University College London, UK

*Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW, UK.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 24 AUG 2010
  2. Article first published online: 15 MAY 2009

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Abstract

Given the widespread appeal of conspiratorial beliefs, it is surprising that very little empirical research has examined the psychological variables associated with such beliefs. In the present study, we examined individual and demographic predictors of beliefs in conspiracy theories concerning the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon among a representative British sample of 254 women and men. Results of structural equation modelling showed that 9/11 conspiracist beliefs were positively associated with belief in other conspiracy theories, exposure to 9/11 conspiracist ideas, political cynicism, defiance of authority and the Big Five personality factor of Agreeableness. In total, a model including demographics, personality and individual difference variables explained over 50% of the variance in 9/11 conspiracist ideas. The implications of these findings for the literature on conspiracy theories are discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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