What makes people susceptible to Russian disinformation?

Why do some people in democratic countries accept Russian state-sponsored propaganda? A new study shows that conspiratorial thinking and a perceived connection to Russian culture are the strongest explanations, while psychological needs appear to have primarily an indirect influence.

The study, recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Contemporary Security Policy, is based on survey data from 6,019 respondents in Greece, Serbia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It was conducted by Charlotte Wagnsson, Professor of Political Science at the Swedish Defence University, together with Aiden Hoyle, Assistant Professor at Leiden University, and Aino Lilja Petterson, Postdoctoral Researcher in Political Science at the Swedish Defence University.

Four countries provide a broader picture

Russia's use of disinformation has become a central security policy issue in recent years. At the same time, relatively little is still known about why some people choose to believe and spread pro-Kremlin narratives.

To improve understanding, the researchers examined the factors associated with support for Russian disinformation in four democratic countries with different historical experiences of and relationships with Russia.

The findings show that two factors are consistently present across all four countries: conspiratorial thinking and a perceived connection to Russian culture. These factors were more strongly and consistently associated with support for Russian disinformation than psychological needs.

Psychological needs may have an indirect influence

In the study, the researchers investigated whether basic psychological needs, such as the need for status or to feel a sense of belonging, can help explain why people become susceptible to authoritarian disinformation.

"Our findings show that needs do not primarily operate as direct explanations. They may primarily play an indirect role by contributing to conspiratorial thinking or increased consumption of Russian state-funded media, which in turn raises the likelihood of accepting pro-Kremlin narratives. We need further research to provide clearer answers", says Charlotte Wagnsson.

Knowledge that can strengthen democratic resilience

The researchers emphasise that the findings do not suggest that psychological needs are unimportant. Rather, the study indicates that the relationships are more complex than previous research has often assumed.

"If we gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that make people susceptible to disinformation, it will also become possible to develop more effective measures to strengthen resilience in democratic societies", says Charlotte Wagnsson.