Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

How CONspiracy theory beliefs affect the quality of romantic RElationships

Objective

High-quality romantic relationships are crucial for good physical and mental health. Yet, they are difficult to maintain, as shown by rising divorce rates in the EU and beyond. Among the many factors that strain relationships, one neglected but highly relevant is belief in conspiracy theories. Despite evidence that conspiracy beliefs can harm individuals, groups, and societies, little is known about how they affect people’s most intimate bonds. While a few existing works only looked at immediate impacts of conspiracy beliefs on relationships in general, a rigorous study must also address their long-term effects on couples. Because when mismatched, conspiracy beliefs are expected to erode, but if shared among partners, they may even foster relationship quality, and such a study would be uniquely equipped to test this. Identifying which couples are affected, and how, is urgently needed given the prevalence of conspiracy beliefs and the rising mental health issues reported by both those who endorse them and their partners. CONspiRE will be the first study to examine whether conspiracy beliefs have immediate or long-term effects on the quality of romantic relationships, and will identify factors that moderate, and psychological mechanisms that underlie, these effects. It will combine disciplines (social psychology, relationship science, social cognition), designs (experimental, longitudinal, dyadic studies), and methods (implicit vs. explicit partner attitudes) to deliver high-quality research that will establish a collaboration between two top-tier labs studying conspiracy beliefs and close relationships. The findings will help to understand and address relationship issues related to conspiracy beliefs, informing mental health guidance and interventions promoting healthy relationships. By focusing on how to mitigate the negative and recognize the positive relationship impacts of conspiracy beliefs, CONspiRE will help foster societal resilience, health and well-being.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF KENT
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 276 187,92
Address
THE REGISTRY CANTERBURY
CT2 7NZ Canterbury, Kent
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
South East (England) Kent East Kent
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Partners (1)

My booklet 0 0