Mindfulness Intervention and its Effect on Conspiracy Theory, including Climate Denialism

Abstract

This study examined the impact of a mindfulness intervention on beliefs regarding whether climate change is human caused or naturally occurring. A total of 152 participants were recruited and were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n= 68) or the control group, (n = 84). The experimental group received a mindfulness exercise, and the control group received an mindless exercise requiring very little effort. Participants completed five additional assessments to measure their mindfulness levels, both pre and post intervention, as well as three additional assessments measuring personality traits, internal vs. external locus of control attributes, and confirmation bias. The mindfulness intervention did not influence climate change causality beliefs as hypothesized but there were certain personality traits that exhibited a significant correlation between those traits and climate change causality beliefs and mindfulness measures. A regression analysis was also performed to determine if the personality assessments would provide a predictive element of climate causal belief, and they were found to be not significant. Further studies should be conducted to strengthen the mindfulness intervention as well as increasing the participant pool. Including more participants would improve the ability to detect an effect, if there is one