Abstract
This study examined the association between the simultaneous endorsement of contradictory conspiracy theories and analytic thinking. Although previous studies have indicated that the association between contradictory conspiracy beliefs disappears when the core conspiracy belief (cover-up by authorities) is controlled, our previous study (Majima et al., 2021) showed that this association remains significant even after the control of the core conspiracy belief. The present study was conducted to investigate the possibility that a low propensity for analytical thinking is related to the simultaneous endorsement of contradictory beliefs. Results of the survey with 199 participants showed a negative correlation between the endorsement of contradictory conspiracy beliefs and analytic thinking, but after controlling for core conspiracy beliefs, the partial correlation coefficient between them was no longer significant. The present finding that analytic thinking does not necessarily suppress irrational beliefs is consistent with the findings that motivated reasoning lies behind beliefs.
