Trust and Media: Predicting COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories in Latin America

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v44i02.15

Keywords:

conspiracy theories, beliefs, trust, COVID-19, disinformation, media

Abstract

Beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy have shown to have broad repercussions on the population, primarily because those who adopt such beliefs express attitudes and behaviors based on misinformation and a level of distrust in both governments and scientific societies. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of trust in government, scientific societies, and media consumption on adherence to COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs in Chile, Mexico, and Colombia during the pandemic. With a sample of 2,111 participants surveyed online between December 2020 and April 2021, structural equation models reveal significant findings. Across all three countries, heightened trust in scientific and international societies, along with increased reliance on formal media, correlates with lower adherence to conspiracy beliefs. Additionally, variations exist in the relationship between trust in government and informal media use among the countries. These results illuminate key predictors of conspiracy beliefs in Latin America, providing valuable insights into the contextual factors influencing public perceptions during the unique challenges posed by the pandemic.

Author Biographies

Camila Salazar-Fernández, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile

Psychologist. PhD in Psychology. Academic at the University of La Frontera. Co-director of the Interactions, Culture, and Health (INCUS-Lab). Her research focuses on intergroup relations, stereotypes, emotions, and behaviors toward disadvantaged minorities, as well as psychosocial factors associated with the intention to vaccinate.

María José Rivera-Baeza, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile

Psychologist. PhD in Psychology. Associate Professor at the Catholic University of Temuco. Co-director of the Interactions, Culture, and Health Laboratory (INCUS-Lab). Her research focuses on the relationship between cultural and psychological processes as antecedents of health behaviors, especially in disadvantaged groups.

Diego Manríquez-Robles, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA

M.A. in Psychology. Research Scientist in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Rice University. His research employs quantitative methods to examine how structural conditions shape psychosocial and behavioral mechanisms influencing health and institutional functioning.

Tomás Caycho-Rodríguez , Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Perú

Psychologist. PhD in Psychology. Senior Researcher at the Universidad Científica del Sur. His research interests focus on the psychological consequences of grief.

Paola Raipán-Gómez, Universidad de Almería, Almería, España

M.A. in Psychology. Researcher at the Department of Psychology and the Centre for the Study of Migration and Intercultural Relations (CEMyRI), University of Almeria, Spain. Her research focuses on majority acculturation and the psychosocial variables shaping this bidirectional process.

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2025-12-30

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Salazar-Fernández, C. ., Rivera-Baeza, M. J., Manríquez-Robles, D. ., Caycho-Rodríguez , T. ., & Raipán-Gómez, P. . (2025). Trust and Media: Predicting COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories in Latin America. Costa Rican Journal of Psychology, 44(2), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v44i02.15

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Vol. 44 No. 2 (2025): Costa Rican Journal of Psychology (July-December 2025, continuos publication)

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