This research examines how negative emotions affect the degree to which people endorse conspiracy theories. Conspiracy beliefs typically flourish in contemporary politics that evoke negative emotions. In the present article, we hypothesized that citizens in ressentiment, a particular emotional state salient in contemporary grievance politics, is a key underpinning of why people believe in conspiracy theories. Ressentiment is a multi-layered emotion, within which perceptions of unfairness, bitterness, and feelings of (suppressed) anger are central. Across three studies, we examined the role of ressentiment in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. Study 1 (United Kingdom, N = 300) and Study 2 (United States, N = 300) revealed a positive relationship between ressentiment, measured through a validated scale, and belief in conspiracy theories. This relationship was mediated by rejection of the status quo. In Study 3 (United States, N = 300, pre-registered), we used a vignette describing a fictitious country to experimentally show that evoking ressentiment (vs. control condition) significantly increased belief in conspiracy theories. Taken together, these findings reveal that ressentiment is central for understanding the emotional roots of believing in conspiracy theories.

Some believe AI can spark their child’s imagination through personalized stories and generative images. Scientists are wary of its affect on creativity

The Guardian spent a year studying an online community trading in anti-immigration sentiment and misinformation. Experts say such spaces can play a role in radicalisation

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The girl, who was wrongly suspected of possessing cannabis, was searched by police at her school.

An analysis of research papers and citing patents indicates the extensive ties between computer-vision research and surveillance.

Paloma Shemirani’s brothers say she refused chemotherapy because of their mother’s beliefs.

What if everything we understood about gun violence was wrong?   In 2007, economist Jens Ludwig moved to the South Side of Chicago to research two big questions: Why does gun violence happen, and is ...

By one account, roughly 70% of Americans regard misinformation as a major threat, outpacing fears about climate change and infectious disease (1). This is true although the current and longer-term imp...