How strongly someone holds a conspiracy belief — not just whether they believe it — may be the key to predicting whether that belief shapes their actions, according to new research from Javier Granados Samayoa, assistant professor of psychology at TCU.

Featured in The Independent and syndicated on Yahoo News, Granados Samayoa discussed findings from his recent study examining why some conspiracy beliefs are more likely than others to influence attitudes and behaviors. His research found that beliefs viewed as more certain, important and actionable have a stronger impact on decisions, offering new insight into how misinformation can translate into real-world consequences.

“People believe in conspiracy theories for many reasons,” Granados Samayoa said. “What we're finding is that it's not just whether someone believes a conspiracy theory that matters — it's how strongly they hold that belief and whether they see it as relevant to their actions.”

Read the full story from The Independent.