The illusion of explanatory depth and endorsement of conspiracy beliefs

The average person possesses superficial understanding of complex causal relations and, consequently, tends to overestimate the quality and depth of their explanatory knowledge. In this study, we examined the role of this illusion of explanatory depth ( IOED ) in politics—inflated confidence in one's causal understanding of political phenomena—for endorsement of conspiracy beliefs. Utilizing a pre‐/post‐election panel design and a large sample...