Young age, higher education or living in a big city do not guarantee immunity to disinformation – according to the published report “Conspiracy Paradox”, prepared by the Scientific and Academic Computer Network – National Research Institute.
The report “Conspiracy paradox. On fear of others, the need for a strong state and susceptibility to disinformation narratives” was presented on Monday in Warsaw.
Young people believe in conspiracies more often than seniors
According to a study conducted by NASK on a group of 3.6 thousand Poles show that the place of residence (big city vs. village) does not determine susceptibility to conspiracy theories. The same applies to the level of education. A university diploma is not a guarantee in itself, factual knowledge and the ability to verify information are more important – during the study, people who gave more correct answers in the knowledge test showed greater resilience. Data analysis also shows that the differences between women and men are practically insignificant.
If we imagine that these conspiracy theories do not concern us because we are from a big city and educated, it is not true, they concern us to the same extent – said Agnieszka Ładna, head of the cyberspace and cybersecurity research team at NASK, during the conference where the main assumptions of the report were presented.
.The data also contradict the thesis that seniors are the most likely to believe in disinformation – on the contrary, older people are the most resistant to conspiracy narratives. Young adults aged 30-39 and 18-29 are less resistant.
We are afraid of “strangers”, but we demand protection from a strong state
According to the authors of the report, belief in conspiracy theories is favored by a worldview that especially xenophobia, understood as the fear of something external. – It is the strongest predictor that favors the belief that the world is ruled by some conspiracies in which elites, institutions or states are involved and which cause certain events – emphasized Ładna.
She added that radical views are also an important factor – regardless of whether they are right-wing or left-wing. However, the most resistant people are those with moderate views and looking for a compromise.
During the research, it was identified the phenomenon of the “conspiracy paradox”, which combines cultural rightism (including xenophobic attitudes) with economic leftism (i.e. expectations that the state will take action and take care of its citizens).
– In Poland – and this is what sets us apart – we have the paradox of the “local Polish conspirator”, who on the one hand has a xenophobic attitude and is quite radical in his views, he expects that others, strangers (…) threaten us and have evil plans for us, but this does not lead to an attitude that would be based on independence, on withdrawal (…). On the contrary, such people want strong public institutions to intervene in both state, private and economic matters – explained Filip Konopczyński, director of the NASK analysis and research office.
Mainstream media is better at protecting against disinformation
Not without significance is the so-called varied media diet. The study shows that people who obtain information from very diverse sources – in terms of size, political profile or origin (local, Polish or foreign) – are not more resistant to disinformation. However, people who use “mainstream” media – large portals, television, radio stations and the press – are more resistant.
Social media also have an impact on belief in conspiracies – the greatest ones are those based on short video materials fed by algorithms. However, users of text and relationship websites are more resistant.
It's rare for someone to believe in just one conspiracy theory – the study shows that conspiracy theories function as a system of communicating vessels, and the acceptance of one conspiracy narrative coexists with the readiness to believe in another one.
In order not to be susceptible to disinformation, according to experts, we should check information in reliable sources, trust science, be self-critical, and pay attention to whether messages are emotionally engaging and whether someone may have an interest in us thinking in a specific way.
The research was carried out using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) method on nationwide samples, representative in terms of gender, age and size of place of residence. Random quota sampling was used (using a research panel), which ensures the representation of the demographic structure of the population of Polish residents using the Internet. In order to capture temporal changes, data from 2024 and 2025 are integrated in the report. 3.6 thousand people took part in the first part of the study. people over 15 years of age. The second one was narrowed down to one thousand respondents, over 18 years of age. (PAP)
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