Authoritarianism Subdimensions Differentially Predict Fake News Detection and Conspiracy Belief in Romania's 2024 Electoral Cycle

Abstract

Abstract

Susceptibility to misinformation threatens democratic processes, yet the differential predictive role of authoritarianism subdimensions remains understudied. This study integrates data from two independent Romanian samples collected during the 2024–2025 electoral cycle (N = 597), examining how aggression, conventionalism/traditionalism, and submission/conservatism predict two distinct outcomes: accuracy in identifying false news (Study 1, N = 427, RWA-15) and belief in conspiracy statements drawn from the annulled Romanian presidential election (Study 2, N = 170, VSA-6). Hierarchical regressions revealed a striking dissociation: authoritarian submission was the dominant predictor of fake news detection deficits (β = −0.41, p < .001), while traditionalism was the dominant predictor of conspiracy belief (β = +0.39, p < .001). Aggression failed to predict either outcome after controls. Fisher's z tests confirmed systematic cross-study differences (both p < .001), consistent with distinct cognitive and ideological routes to misinformation susceptibility. Person-centered analyses replicated the variable-centered findings. Cross-instrumental convergence was partial: the traditionalism/conventionalism equivalence replicated consistently, while submission/conservatism showed less stability. These findings suggest that prebunking interventions should be tailored to authoritarian profiles: cognitively oriented training for submission-dominant individuals, and value-based argumentation for traditionalism-dominant ones.