Antecedents and consequences of science-related conspiracy beliefs

Many social, political, and psychological factors influence the extent to which people put their trust in science. The current article examines recent evidence for the role of conspiracy beliefs about science. The article examines the consequences of such beliefs, focusing on the domains of health (e.g., vaccinations) and the environment (e.g., climate change). Using the COVID-19 context as an example, the article focuses on the epistemic, existential, and social motives that underpin science-related conspiracy beliefs. Finally, the article considers whether science-related conspiracy beliefs satisfy these psychological motives, and what implications there are for future trust in science.