Decoding belief: neural mechanisms of conspiracy message evaluation

Conspiracy theories present emotionally salient and socially consequential information that may influence credibility evaluation, particularly in online environments where social cues are prevalent. Although behavioral predictors of conspiracy belief have been widely studied, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying credibility evaluation. The present study used electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine neural responses during a conspiracy message evaluation task under varying social credibility conditions (high, ambiguous, individual). Participants evaluated conspiracy and true messages while EEG was recorded, and resting-state frontal alpha asymmetry was assessed. Conspiracy messages elicited greater right-frontal LPP amplitudes than true messages, indicating enhanced regulatory engagement. Social credibility modulated sustained attention (P3) and regulatory processing (LPP), and resting frontal alpha asymmetry predicted LPP amplitudes. These findings inform an Integrated Regulatory-Motivational Model of Credibility Evaluation.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Year dc:date.available

2027

Author dc:creator

• Daugherty, Hannah C

Contributors dc:contributor

• Wilhelm, Ricardo
• Teaford, Max; Heise, Sarah
• College of Arts and Sciences

• Belief and doubt
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Conspiracy theories

Licence

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/1072

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2259