In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic it has become clear that conspiracy myths have proliferated across Germany. In order to counteract the influence of these myths, it is important to understand which groups of people are particularly affected by them and in what other ways their beliefs differ from those of the rest of the population.
A new study, Who Believes in Corona Conspiracy Myths? investigates to what degree supporters of “corona conspiracies” have different values about subjects including freedom, security, and equality than do people who do not deny the pandemic. The results of the report show that about 15 percent of the population in Germany believes in a coronavirus-related conspiracy, and that this phenomenon is found across population groups.
It turns out that people whose values are more community-oriented and emphasize the protection and equality of all people are less likely to believe in corona conspiracy myths than others. Fundamental values seem to have a strong effect on belief in such myths.
In this conversation, the findings of the new study will be discussed by experts from academia, civil society, and the media, aiming to provide new insights and advice for policy makers and civil society for dealing with the repercussions of the pandemic.
Speakers
Selmin Hava Caliskan
Speaker
Selmin Çalışkan is director of Institutional Relations at the Open Society Foundations’ Berlin office.
Franziska Deutsch
Moderator
Franziska Deutsch is senior lecturer for socio-cultural change at Jacobs University Bremen and individual field coordinator at the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences.
Jan Eichhorn
Speaker
Jan Eichhorn is co-author of Who Believes in Corona Conspiracy Myths?, founding partner of d|part, and senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh.
Pia Lamberty
Speaker
Pia Lamberty is managing director at the Center for Monitoring, Analysis, and Strategy and is author of the 2020 book Face Facts–How Conspiracy Myths Shape our Thinking.
Tobias Spörri
Speaker
Tobias Spöri is co-author of Who Believes in Corona Conspiracy Myths? and is a research fellow at d|part, where he focuses on quantitative research on democracy, political attitudes and participation.