The likelihood that a person will actively engage in politics may be reduced when they are exposed to conspiracy theories. This is the suggestion of new research published in the British Journal of Psychology, which found people are also less keen to reduce their carbon footprint when contemplating such ideas.

Psychologists at the University of Kent conducted two studies - one related to politics and the other to climate change - and discovered exposure to information supporting conspiracy theories can result in greater feelings of powerlessness.

Dr Karen Douglas, an expert on the psychology of conspiracy theories at the learning institute, said: "Wariness about conspiracy theories may indeed be warranted. We provide evidence that exposure to conspiracy theories can potentially have important social consequences."

PhD student Daniel Jolley noted that while more is being learnt with regard to how theories such as these influence social and political attitudes, it is necessary to understand what these beliefs entail.