InTACT Data Analysis
Abstract
The InTACT Benchmark Test is made up of 4 components, each measuring a different aspect of mentality or behaviours related to conspiracy theories. The test was carried out online in 5 countries and the answers are self-reported by the respondents.
Detailed analyses indicated that the data is highly homogenous across the countries involved. This was a sufficient basis for setting benchmark values across a range of indicators.
The benchmark values will be used to compare before-after results with regard to the conspiracy theories' deconstruction training intervention. We will also keep the test online and in data-collection mode to build a more robust dataset.
Abstract
This study analyses data from the InTACT Benchmark Test, administered online in Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Italy, and Slovenia to assess mentalities and behaviours related to conspiracy theories. The test comprises four components: a 12-item Gullibility Test, a Click-bait newsletter subscription button experiment, the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire, and the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale. Data from 771 respondents, including 717 pre-intervention and 56 post-intervention responses, reveal significant country-specific differences in gullibility, conspiracy mentality, and conspiracy beliefs.
Key findings include:
- Higher conspiracy mentality scores among older individuals and scam victims, with education moderating this relationship.
- Males showed higher engagement with conspiracy-related content.
- Significant gender differences in persuadability but not in other conspiracy-related measures.
- Skewness and kurtosis suggest that effect of interventions likely impacts a small subset of respondents, as evidences by the distribution of extreme values.
The study emphasises the need for country-specific benchmarks and suggests further research to refine these benchmarks, consider the effects of repeated testing, and address distributional skewness and kurtosis.