A new study published in Cognitive Neuropsychiatry has found no connection between autism and a general tendency to believe in conspiracies.

In their analysis, the researchers found no significant differences in conspiracy mentality between the autistic group and the general population. Both groups scored similarly, indicating that being autistic does not inherently affect one’s general susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs.

This finding suggests that conspiracy mentality is not linked with autism, contradicting two potential hypotheses the researchers explored: one that autism might increase susceptibility to conspiracy beliefs due to common experiences of social exclusion, and another that autism might offer a type of protection against these beliefs due to cognitive characteristics associated with autism, such as analytical thinking.

Link to the study:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13546805.2024.2399505#abstract

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    23·
    19 days ago

    I’m offended on behalf of autistic people that anyone considered this. Conspiracy nutters are largely disaffected and searching for an explanation for why they’re unhappy that frees them from responsibility.

    • stoly@lemmy.world
      21·
      19 days ago

      I had a very similar reaction honestly. There is value in the study so that we can say “no”. I do feel like there was extreme bias in the design of it though.