Conspiracy Mentality, Distrust of Scientists and Environmental Concerns

In this paper, we investigate the influence of conspiracy mentality and distrust of scientists on environmental concerns across OECD nations. We posits that citizens in wealthier countries are more likely to value environmental protection and feel personally responsible for taking action. However, people with a conspiratorial mindset, defined as interpreting events as the result of a secret plot by powerful actors, are theorized to exhibit lower pro-environmental attitudes, climate science acceptance, and willingness to reduce one's carbon footprint. Thus, we hypothesize that while a "conspiratorial gap" in environmental concern exists across all countries, this gap is significantly larger in nations with higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, as material needs are met and environmental attitudes become a more salient point of contention. Our analysis separates environmental attitudes into two dimensions: "worrying about the environment" (perception of problems) and "feeling responsible for the environment" (willingness to act). Using European Social Survey data, we confirm that higher national income generally correlates with greater environmental concern. Furthermore, preliminary results reveal that the negative impact of a conspiracy mindset and distrust in scientists on both environmental dimensions is notably stronger in high-GDP countries. Our findings highlight how national economic context moderates the influence of conspiratorial thinking on environmental engagement, a crucial factor for policymakers and communicators addressing the climate crisis.