Conspiracy Theories as a Source of Social Stigma in the Age of Corona: A Replication of a Study by Lantian et al. (2018)

This study presents a close replication of the “conspiracy-theory-as-social-stigma” hypothesis originally tested by Lantian et al. (2018), extending the paradigm to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 1 (N = 143), participants wrote three arguments either endorsing or rejecting pandemic-related conspiracy theories as part of a simulated online contest. In Study 2 (N = 237), participants imagined publicly supporting or rejecting such theories in front of an audience. Across both studies, anticipated social exclusion was significantly higher in the endorsement condition than in the rejection condition. This effect was mediated by anticipated negative self-evaluation, and the mediation was attenuated among individuals high in general conspiracist ideation. The findings confirm and extend the original results and suggest that the label “conspiracy theory” may trigger stigmatizing effects in public discourse, potentially exacerbating societal polarization.