"Psychological research has shown again and again that believing in conspiracy theories that are clearly not backed up by facts can do a lot of damage to relationships with family members and friends. This can go to the point where the person believing in conspiracy theories is simply not invited to future family meetings or parties. What is, however, largely unclear from a scientific point of view is to what extent believing in conspiracy theories can hurt the development of new relationships."
"A new study entitled "Conspiracy Theories and Online Dating: It's a (Mis)match!", just published in the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, focused on investigating the consequences of positing conspiracy theories on online dating profiles ( Green and co-workers, 2026). The research team, led by scientist Ricky Green from the School of Psychology at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, conducted three different experiments on conspiracy theories and online dating."
Belief in conspiracy theories damages relationships with family and friends and can lead to social exclusion from gatherings. Three experiments examined effects of expressing such beliefs on online dating profiles using volunteers who viewed profiles endorsing, contradicting, or omitting conspiracy beliefs. Profiles endorsing conspiracy theories received worse dating ratings and fewer positive responses, demonstrating a negative effect on online dating success. Expressing conspiracy beliefs occasionally attracted like-minded people but overall reduced matchability and hindered the formation of new romantic relationships and social ties.
Read at Psychology Today
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