Predictors of climate change conspiracy beliefs: collective narcissism, paranoid thoughts, and distrust in science

This study examined the effects of gender, ideological identity, social media use and frequency, collective narcissism, distrust in science, and paranoid thoughts as predictors of climate change conspiracy beliefs (CCCB) in a Turkish sample. A total of 556 preservice teachers participated in the study in which the prediction design model was used. A total of six instruments, including a self-description form and a demographic information questionnaire, were used as data collection tools. The results of the study showed that collective narcissism, distrust in science and paranoid thoughts were predictors of CCCB. However, gender, ideological identity, social media use and frequency did not significantly predict conspiracy beliefs. The results indicated that the relationships between CCCB and national and cultural variables must be addressed further. This situation may provide more insight into group characteristics other than individual characteristics in determining the predictors of conspiracy beliefs.