The influence of conspiracy beliefs and perceived digital media credibility on misinformation acceptance

Abstract

During the 2025 House of Councillors election campaign, conspiracy theories and misinformation circulated widely across digital media platforms, raising concerns about how such content might be addressed. This study examined whether individuals with stronger conspiracy beliefs were more susceptible to misinformation and whether this relationship was moderated by the perceived credibility of digital media. Data were collected from 294 participants (147 women; Mage＝45.32 years). Participants completed measures of perceived digital media credibility and conspiracy beliefs, with the latter assessed using the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire. Approximately one week later, participants were presented with misinformation from the campaign and were asked to rate their level of acceptance. Results revealed a significant interaction between perceived digital media credibility and conspiracy beliefs in the prediction of misinformation acceptance. Participants who perceived digital media as highly credible tended to accept misinformation, regardless of their level of conspiracy beliefs, suggesting that perceptions of credibility alone may increase vulnerability. In contrast, among those who perceived digital media as less credible, individuals with stronger conspiracy beliefs reported significantly greater levels of misinformation acceptance than those with weaker conspiracy beliefs. These findings highlight the importance of interventions that address generalized trust in digital media and individuals’ underlying conspiracy beliefs. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are discussed.