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New study indicates populist attitudes are associated with gullibility

OceanBonfire

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Populism exists throughout the political spectrum as a political ideology that defines society as conflict between ordinary people and the elites. Many conspiracy theories fit populist ideals in how they hinge on the elites as responsible for ordinary people’s societal issues. New research, published in Political Psychology, found that populist attitudes are associated with conspiracy mentality, which is the tendency to believe in the prevalence of conspiracy theories.

Populist attitudes group the world into two adversarial groups: us “the people” vs. them “the elites.” Study author Jan-Willem van Prooijen and colleagues argue that seeing the world so simplistically might be associated with less critical evaluation of information, especially if that information is in favor of the people and against the elites.

“Accordingly, populist attitudes are empirically related with the belief that simple solutions exist for complex societal problems,” wrote the researchers. “Paradoxically, this clear-cut worldview that characterizes populist attitudes is likely associated with an increased confidence in the veracity of their cognitions and beliefs—and with it, increased gullibility.”

 

daftandbarmy

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I dunno...

I keep coming across people who have advanced degrees, millionaires, who still think that vaccines are bad for you based on the last 'naturopthic' podcast they listened to, and who have no idea why people think that Russia is 'bad'.

Gullibility isn't the exclusive realm of the 'truck horn honking' classes.
 

dimsum

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I dunno...

I keep coming across people who have advanced degrees, millionaires, who still think that vaccines are bad for you based on the last 'naturopthic' podcast they listened to, and who have no idea why people think that Russia is 'bad'.

Gullibility isn't the exclusive realm of the 'truck horn honking' classes.

From my brief skim of that article, only one of the 3 studies cited correlates education with tendency to believe conspiracy theories. I don't think the article is saying that gullibility/tendency to believe conspiracy theories are exclusively correlated to political leaning or education level.
 

Halifax Tar

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I dunno...

I keep coming across people who have advanced degrees, millionaires, who still think that vaccines are bad for you based on the last 'naturopthic' podcast they listened to, and who have no idea why people think that Russia is 'bad'.

Gullibility isn't the exclusive realm of the 'truck horn honking' classes.

Why can't you just stick to the narrative ? We're trying to sow division here!

;)
 

MilEME09

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I'd say a large factor is our inability to advance with technology. Remember the truth in advertising standards act? Probably needs a modern equivalent.
 

Brad Sallows

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Outside their lanes, some "elites" have the common sense of a loaf of bread. Watch one change a tire, start a campfire, or make an investment. Or just watch the crew currently in denial that public spending influences inflation.
 

FJAG

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Outside their lanes, some "elites" have the common sense of a loaf of bread. Watch one change a tire, start a campfire, or make an investment. Or just watch the crew currently in denial that public spending influences inflation.
And those "elites" are the ones who enabled D&B's and me to put our kids through university and buy a house.

😉
 
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