Jaunų žmonių (25-30 m.) kritinio mąstymo, išsilavinimo ir tikėjimo sąmokslo teorijomis sąveika /

The goal of educational institutions (especially universities) is to promote critical thinking. However, the rise of social media and the spread of unchecked information have led more people, especially the young, to believe in conspiracy theories. This raises questions about whether university students are effectively taught critical thinking skills that would help combat misinformation. Therefore, this paper examines the interaction between education, critical thinking, and belief in conspiracy theories among young people (aged 25–30). The study included 73 participants (M = 26,9; SD = 1,7). 36 have a university education, 37 – secondary education, secondary education with vocational qualification, or a non-university bachelor's degree. Results show that critical thinking mediates the relationship between education and belief in conspiracy theories. Moreover, individuals with a university education have higher levels of critical thinking and are less likely to believe in conspiracy theories compared to those without a university education. Conversely, those with lower critical thinking levels are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories – and vice versa.

Grantor dc:publisher

Institutional Repository of Vilnius University

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Butvilauskaitė, Gintarė,

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Language dc:language

lit

Repository record dc:identifier

https://repository.vu.lt/VU:ELABAETD210638325&prefLang=en_US

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vu.lt:elaba:210638325