While lack of control is one plausible explanation for conspiracy beliefs,
the experimental evidence is mixed. We present two naturalistic studies that
offer some limited support for the control hypothesis. In the first,
Macedonians living in (North) Macedonia (N = 116) completed a conspiracy
ideation scale immediately after a national referendum on the country?s name
change from ?Macedonia? to ?North Macedonia,? and one year after. The
opposition, whose control was lowered after the name change, increased their
conspiracy beliefs, but supporters did not. Study 2, conducted with
Americans (N = 266) in the wake of a series of devastating tornadoes,
replicated and expanded the first study: the effects were evident only for
the threatening event-related conspiracy beliefs. These studies suggest a
possible link between lack of control and conspiracy beliefs in the real
world.