Examining the Relationship between Epistemic Beliefs (Justification of Knowing) and the Belief in Conspiracy Theories

In times of fake news and alternative facts, a differentiated approach to (scientific) knowledge becomes increasingly important. In light of current events, namely the covid19-pandemic, understanding epistemic beliefs and their effect on dealing with misinformation and conspiracy theories is especially relevant. This study therefore explored relationships between epistemic beliefs (how individuals perceive knowledge and science, as well as scientific knowledge within specific research areas) and beliefs in covid19-related conspiracy theories.