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Conspiracy Beliefs in Post-Communist Europe: The Role Of Religiosity, Political Ideology, and Media Trust Among
Katarzyna Bałandynowicz-Panfil
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1492-7117Małgorzata Łosiewicz
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4853-1543Ana Slavec
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0171-2144Janez Štebe
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6799-8088Șerban Olah
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8698-3954Győző Pék
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9130-7638Adrienn Kaszás-Nagy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4744-0615Mojca Šoštarič Zvonare
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0798-1987Magdalena Iwanowska
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0878-9523Abstract
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This study explores the sociocultural and psychological determinants of conspiracy theory beliefs (CTBs) among unvaccinated individuals in three post-communist countries: Poland, Romania, and Slovenia. The goal is to understand how religiosity, political orientation, media trust, and fear of COVID-19 shape conspiratorial thinking in societies with legacies of institutional distrust and ideological polarization.
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The central research problem concerns the contextual drivers of CTBs in post-communist Europe, where transitional experiences challenge universal explanatory models. The study draws on data from an online survey of 1,641 unvaccinated individuals collected in 2021. Key constructs-including conspiracy beliefs, trust in institutions and media, religiosity, and political orientation-were measured using validated scales and analyzed through multiple regression models.
THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The argument integrates historical and structural factors with individual-level predictors of CTBs. It distinguishes between private religiosity and religious practice, analyzes media trust in fragmented information environments, and contextualizes political ideology within the region’s post-authoritarian trajectories. The analysis emphasizes how fear, belief, and epistemic orientation intersect in shaping vaccine-related conspiracies.
RESEARCH RESULTS: Findings indicate that higher private religiosity, left-wing political orientation, low fear of COVID-19, and reliance on digital or informal information sources are positively associated with CTBs. In contrast, trust in traditional media, trust in medical professionals, and participation in organized religious practices predict lower endorsement of conspiracies. Slovenia and Poland show the highest CTB levels.
CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: CTBs in post-communist societies reflect both historical legacies and current epistemic vulnerabilities. Addressing them requires context-sensitive strategies that rebuild institutional trust, support civic engagement, and recognize the social functions of structured belief systems. The study contributes to a better understanding of misinformation dynamics in transitional democracies.
Keywords
conspiracy theories, religiosity, political ideology, media trust, post-communist Europe
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