Trump supporters are more likely to believe conspiracy theories and hold anti-vaccination views, a University of Queensland study on American internet users has found.
UQ researcher Professor Matthew Hornsey said Mr Trump had sent dozens of tweets linking vaccinations with autism before he became President, despite this link being a long-discredited myth.
“Trump supporters are considerably more vaccine-hesitant than other Americans, and are more likely to be concerned about side-effects,” Professor Hornsey said.
The research team also asked 518 Americans to what extent they believed famous conspiracy theories, such as suggestions Diana, Princess of Wales, was murdered and the September 11 attacks were an inside job organised by the Bush administration.
This research was a collaboration between UQ’s School of Psychology and the University of Exeter.
UQ and the University of Exeter have partnered to establish the QUEX Institute — an initiative designed to bolster our joint global research impact.
