Objectives: Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between attachment anxiety and conspiracy belief and to examine whether schizotypy mediates the relationship between attachment anxiety and both generic and specific conspiracy belief. Method: The current sample included 182 participants – 109 female and 67 male, mean age of 35.65 years – who were recruited to participate in an online survey via Prolific. Participants were primed for either a secure or anxious attachment style, and completed measures of baseline attachment, schizotypy, generic conspiracy belief, and specific conspiracy belief. Results: Unexpectedly, the results provided further evidence for a relationship between attachment avoidance (instead of anxiety) and conspiracy belief. Results supported a mediational model in which schizotypy mediates the relationship between attachment avoidance and conspiracy belief. Conclusion: Attachment avoidance may predispose individuals to develop schizotypal personality traits, which, in turn, may increase the likelihood of conspiracy belief.
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