Individuals on the political right are more vulnerable to conspiracy theories than those on the left, according to a new study.
This is the conclusion of psychologist Julia Aspernäs of Sweden’s Linköping University, who found modest—yet statistically significant—differences in how individuals across the political spectrum respond to various forms of misinformation.
Aspernäs found that while the political left and right are equally prone to certain kinds of flawed reasoning, those on the political right are more susceptible to conspiracy theories.
However, her analysis also revealed that almost everyone, regardless of ideology, tends to accept political claims that align with their own beliefs.
In her study, Aspernäs surveyed nearly 2,500 adults in Sweden and the U.K. In a series of specifically designed tests, they looked at three major categories of misinformation: logical fallacies, conspiracy theories and pseudo-profound nonsense.
In examining logical fallacies, participants were presented with a series of politically charged syllogisms—logical statements requiring deduction. Some of these statements leaned left, others right.
The researchers found that when a syllogism spoke to an individual’s ideological concerns, whether left or right-leaning, they always demonstrated a similar impairment in reasoning and made logical errors regardless of their political alignment.
Explaining this response, Aspernäs said in a statement that “we simply become worse at evaluating information in areas that matter to us, where it affects our self-image.”
When it came to looking at conspiracy theories, participants were tasked with looking at a series of statements claiming there were covert plots behind major societal events. Most were politically neutral, but when they were politically loaded, the researchers offered a balance between right and left.
The results highlighted how those identifying themselves as right-leaning are more likely to accept conspiracy theories than left-leaning individuals. Though the correlation was weak, it was deemed statistically significant. The study also found people on the right were also more willing to spread conspiracy theories than people on the left.
Researchers then gauged participants’ openness to “pseudo-profound nonsense—abstract, seemingly meaningful statements devoid of real substance.” Here no significant ideological difference emerged with both groups being equally susceptible.
Reflecting on the findings, Aspernäs offered up several hypotheses as to why the political right seems more inclined to fall for conspiracy theories.
She believes that right-wing communities may circulate a disproportionate number of conspiracy theories, therefore increasing individual exposure and normalising acceptance.
Aspernäs also noted that conservative thinkers often adopt a precautionary, threat-focused worldview that may make them more receptive to conspiratorial explanations involving malevolent forces.
She added that a tendency toward anti-democratic sentiments—which stretch across the ideological spectrum—might too facilitate openness to conspiracy theories.
Despite her findings, Aspernäs stressed that the overall correlation was weak. “I don’t know whether it helps us move forward, for example in public debate, by singling out certain groups,” she said. “The correlations we see, where right-leaning people stand out, are not very strong.”
Ultimately, Aspernäs believes further exploration is required in order to better clarify causation and find out whether the right-wing predisposition is fundamental, or a byproduct of social environment and psychological traits.
In 2022, a study published in the journal Political Behavior rejected the notion that Republicans and Conservatives are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. Researchers surveyed beliefs across a broad sample of 52 conspiracy theories in the U.S. and 11 conspiracy theories internationally.
A second test saw the researchers hold constant the content of the conspiracy theories investigated—manipulating only the partisanship of the theorized villains—to decipher whether those on the left or right are more likely to accuse political out-groups of conspiring.
They concluded that the relationship between political ideology and conspiracy belief is not uniform—it depends heavily on the specific content and context of the conspiracy. While conservatives were often reported to have stronger conspiracy beliefs, the strength and direction of this link varied across different theories and national settings.
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References
Aspernäs, J. (2025). Who falls for misinformation? : Epistemic beliefs and political identity as predictors of conspiracy ideation, bullshit receptivity, and fallacies [Linköping University Electronic Press]. https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-218108
Enders, A., Farhart, C., Miller, J., Uscinski, J., Saunders, K., & Drochon, H. (2022). Are Republicans and Conservatives More Likely to Believe Conspiracy Theories? Political Behavior, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-022-09812-3
