摘要：There are many ways to categorise conspiracy theories. In the present study, we examined
individual and demographic predictors of beliefs in commercial conspiracy theories among
a British sample of over 300 women and men. Results showed many people were cynical
and sceptical with regard to advertising tricks, as well as the tactics of organisations
like banks and alcohol, drug and tobacco companies. Beliefs sorted into four identifiable
clusters, labelled sneakiness, manipulative, change-the-rules and suppression/prevention.
The high alpha for the overall scale suggested general beliefs in commercial conspiracy.
Regressions suggested that those people who were less religious, more left-wing, more
pessimistic, less (self-defined as) wealthy, less Neurotic and less Open-to-Experience
believed there was more commercial conspiracy. Overall the individual difference variables
explained relatively little of the variance in these beliefs. The implications of these findings
for the literature on conspiracy theories are discussed. Limitations of the study are also
discussed.
关键词：commercial conspiracy theories; politics; Big Five; individual differences
