Normative compliance attenuates conspiracy theories about COVID-19 among people who distrust science: Findings from Western and Southeastern Europe

Islam Borinca

University College Dublin

In order to maintain improved intragroup relations (i.e., fewer beliefs in conspiracy theories and more national solidarity among group members) during the COVID-19 pandemic, interventions emphasizing group normativity or unification are needed, especially for skeptical groups such as those who distrust (vs. trust) science. Across three experiments (N =1,604) conducted in Ireland and Kosovo, we assessed participants' trust in science before exposing them to one of three conditions concerning COVID-19 health advice: normative compliance, non-normative compliance, or no advice at all (i.e., control). The results showed that participants who distrusted (vs. trusted) science believed fewer conspiracy theories and displayed greater feelings of national solidarity in the normative compliance than in the non-normative compliance or control conditions. Their feelings of national solidarity explained the observed effects.