Beliefs of Turkish University Students in COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories: The Role of Fear of COVID-19 and Political Orientation

Abstract

The main purpose of the study is to determine the level of Turkish university students' belief in the COVID-19 conspiracy theories. The study involves 676 university students from 52 cities in Turkey who are 18 to 36 years old (M = 22.21 years, SD = 2.65). The research is structured in two stages: Study 1 and Study 2. In Study 1, a valid and reliable measuring tool called the COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Scale (CTCV-19S) is developed to determine the extent to which students believe in COVID-19 conspiracy theories. In Study 2, on the other hand, the level of Turkish university students' belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories is examined using the CTCV-19S within the framework of the role of fear of COVID-19 fear and political orientation. As a result, it is found that Turkish university students believed in COVID-19 conspiracy theories at a higher rate than the general population, and there is a positive relationship between COVID-19 fear and COVID-19 conspiracy theories. It is also found that students with right-wing political views are more prone to believe in COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

Keywords

• covid-19 conspiracy theories
• covid-19 fear
• political orientation
• university students
• covid-19 komplo teorileri
• covid-19 korkusu
• politik eğilim
• üniversite öğrencileri