Those who subscribe to outrageous conspiracy theories are more likely to commit low-level crime, a new study has found.

Belief in such ideas - like the theory that Princess Diana was murdered by the British establishment - has often been associated with negative outcomes such as political disengagement, prejudice, and environmental inaction.

And now psychologists from the universities of Kent and Staffordshire suggest it can also make people more inclined to be involved in antisocial and 'unethical' acts.

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Those who subscribe to outrageous conspiracy theories are more likely to commit low-level crime, a new study has found

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR CONSPIRACY THEORIES? Researchers say some of the most commonly held beliefs include: The Apollo moon landing was staged The CIA killed JFK. 9/11 was a plot by the U.S. government to justify a war in the Middle East President Barack Obama was not a natural born citizen The massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school was staged as a pretense for increased gun control The 'deep state' is trying to destroy Donald Trump's presidency Advertisement

These actions include petty crime, such as trying to claim for replacement items, refunds or compensation from a shop when they were not entitled to do so.

A second study showed that those who were exposed to conspiracy theories during the experiment were immediately more accepting of low-level crime.

Professor Karen Douglas, of Kent's School of Psychology, said: 'People who believe in conspiracy theories - such as the theory that Princess Diana was murdered by the British establishment - are more likely to accept or engage in everyday criminal activity.'

'Our research has shown for the first time the role that conspiracy theories can play in determining an individual’s attitude to everyday crime.

'It demonstrates that people subscribing to the view that others have conspired might be more inclined toward unethical actions. '



Dr Dan Jolley, of Staffordshire University, said: ‘People believing in conspiracy theories are more likely to be accepting of everyday crime, while exposure to theories increases a feeling of anomie, which in turn predicts increased future everyday crime intentions.’

The study, entitled Belief in conspiracy theories and intentions to engage in everyday crime, and published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, was performed in two parts with separate groups of people.

Belief in such ideas - like alien invasions - has often been associated with negative outcomes such as political disengagement, prejudice, and environmental inaction

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE BELIEVE IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES? Over the course of three online-based studies, researchers at the University of Kent showed strong links between the belief in conspiracy theories and certain psychological traits. Narcissism and self-esteem levels have a large impact on a persons belief in conspiracy theories. The results showed that people who rated highly on the narcissism scale and who had low self-esteem were more likely to be conspiracy believers. However, while low self-esteem, narcissism and belief in conspiracies are strongly linked, it is not clear that one - or a combination - causes the other. But it hints at an interesting new angle to the world of conspiracy and those who reinforce belief. There are widely believed to be three main reasons as to why people believe in conspiracy theories. The desire for understanding and certainty - Seeking explanations for events is a natural human desire.

The desire for control and security - Conspiracy theories can give their believers a sense of control and security.

The desire to maintain a positive self-image - People who feel socially marginalised are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories and it gives them a sense of worth in the UFO community. These three things tie in with the previously stated qualities and combine to create an avid conspiracy theorist. Advertisement

In the first, the researchers asked 253 participants what their attitudes towards conspiracy theories were - including the British government duping the public on issues of national security.

These same participants were then asked how acceptable they considered small crime, which ranged from 'unethical action' to petty crime.

The team found a high positive correlation between the two.

In the second study, 120 people were asked the same questions about crime, but 50 per cent of the participants were given an article about a conspiracy theory to read during the experiment.

The results showed that those who read the article had a stronger inclination to engage in petty crime than those who didn't.