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Nera K, Douglas KM, Bertin P, Delouvée S, Klein O. Conspiracy Beliefs and the Perception of Intergroup Inequalities. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2024:1461672241279085. [PMID: 39323225 DOI: 10.1177/01461672241279085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Conspiracy beliefs are prevalent among members of disadvantaged groups. Adopting a social identity perspective, we hypothesized that these beliefs would reduce the endorsement of internal attributions for inequalities that could negatively affect the image of disadvantaged ingroups. In Study 1 (n = 1,104), conspiracy mentality was negatively associated with meritocracy beliefs, which attribute success and failure to internal factors. In Studies 2 to 5 (ns = 179, 251, 221, 248), taking the perspective of a person exhibiting a high (vs. low) conspiracy mentality in a fictitious context reduced participants' meritocracy beliefs, internal attributions for a privileged outgroup's situation, and fostered negative attitudes toward the outgroup. However, it did not reduce internal attributions for the situation of a disadvantaged ingroup, nor did it improve attitudes toward the ingroup. Regarding intergroup comparison, conspiracy mentality seems to primarily deteriorate the perception of privileged outgroups rather than improve the perception of disadvantaged ingroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenzo Nera
- Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
- Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | | | - Paul Bertin
- Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
- Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique, Bruxelles, Belgium
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
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2
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Adamus M, Ballová Mikušková E, Kačmár P, Guzi M, Adamkovič M, Chayinska M, Adam-Troian J. The mediating effect of institutional trust in the relationship between precarity and conspiracy beliefs: A conceptual replication of Adam-Troian et al. (2023). BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 63:1207-1225. [PMID: 38270221 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The paper reports the results of registered conceptual replications of the indirect effect of institutional trust in the relationship between precarity and the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs (CB). The original study of Adam-Troian et al. (2023; British Journal of Social Psychology, 62(S1), 136-159) indicated that subjective appraisals of economic hardship are associated with lower trust in governments and institutions, which in turn is associated with stronger endorsement of CB. Our Studies 1 to 3 report a series of replications using Slovak panel data. Study 4 reports a replication of the mediation model using data from the European Social Survey Round 10 collected in 17 countries. To provide a quantitative synthesis of these and previous results, we conducted mini meta-analysis (N = 50,340). Although the strength of the observed relationships differed across the studies to some degree, the original patterns of relations remained robust, supporting the original model. The study corroborates the view that to curb the spread of CB, it is necessary to address structural issues, such as growing financial insecurity, socioeconomic inequalities, and the deficit of institutional trust. Finally, we discuss the role of cultural and political settings in conditioning the mechanisms through which precarity enhances the endorsement of CB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Adamus
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Eva Ballová Mikušková
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Pavol Kačmár
- Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martin Guzi
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Matuš Adamkovič
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Maria Chayinska
- Department of Cognitive, Psychological and Pedagogical Sciences, and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Adamus M, Ballová Mikušková E, Kohut M. Conspire to one's own detriment: Strengthening HPV Program Support Through Debunking Epistemically Suspect Beliefs. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2024. [PMID: 38923394 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The study experimentally tested an intervention that debunks epistemically suspect beliefs about vaccines. After answering questions about pre-existing epistemically suspect beliefs (irrational health beliefs and conspiracy mentality), 565 participants were randomly assigned into one of three conditions and exposed either to neutral information about domestic animals, salient epistemically suspect content about vaccination or an intervention that debunks epistemically suspect beliefs about vaccination. Afterwards, the participants answered questions about vaccination-related conspiracy narratives (manipulation check), vaccination attitudes, intentions to vaccinate against HPV, support for an HPV vaccination programme and intentions to seek health guidance. Although the intervention demonstrated the potential to inhibit the endorsement of conspiracy narratives, we found no differences in the other outcome variables. Nevertheless, across the conditions, pre-existing epistemically suspect beliefs were associated with less favourable attitudes towards vaccination, lower intentions to vaccinate against HPV, less support for the vaccination programme and lower intentions to seek health guidance. The results indicate that debunking may be futile in curbing long-term negative impacts associated with epistemically suspect beliefs, and they contribute to the debate about assessing the effectiveness of interventions related to highly controversial topics such as vaccination. The study enhances understanding of persistent adverse impacts that epistemically suspect beliefs may have on public health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Adamus
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia
- Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia
| | | | - Michal Kohut
- Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of Trnava, Trnava, Slovakia
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Varet F, Adam-Troian J, Bonetto E, Akinyemi A, Lantian A, Voisin D, Delouvée S. Experimental manipulation of uncanny feeling does not increase adherence to conspiracy theories. Scand J Psychol 2024; 65:144-156. [PMID: 37667647 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Research over the past decade has shown that endorsement of conspiracy theories (CTs) is shaped by motivated cognition processes. Accordingly, CTs are theorized to stem from compensatory processes, as individuals attempt to cope with existential threats (i.e., uncertainty, loss of control). Based on the meaning maintenance model, we investigated whether this compensatory effect could follow from epistemic threats in domains unrelated to CTs in the form of uncanniness. Feelings of uncanniness were experimentally manipulated through exposure to absurdist art and literature in a set of five studies, followed by a mini meta-analysis (Ntotal = 1,041). We conducted a final, preregistered sixth study (N = 266) manipulating uncanniness through autobiographical recall. No robust evidence for a compensatory effect was found. We discussed methodological and conceptual limitations of the meaning maintenance model, as well as boundary conditions under which conspiracy theories could have a compensatory function to deal with threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Varet
- Anthropo-Lab, ETHICS EA 7446, Université Catholique de Lille, Lille, France
| | | | - Eric Bonetto
- Aix Marseille University, PSYCLE, Aix-en-Provence, France
- InCIAM, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Alexis Akinyemi
- Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale, EA 4386 (équipe PS2C), Nanterre, France
| | - Anthony Lantian
- Département de Psychologie, Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale, UPL, Univ Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France
| | - Dimitri Voisin
- C2S Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - Sylvain Delouvée
- Department of Psychology, LP3C-EA 1285, University Rennes, Rennes, France
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Salvati M, Pellegrini V, De Cristofaro V, Giacomantonio M. What is hiding behind the rainbow plot? The gender ideology and LGBTQ+ lobby conspiracies (GILC) scale. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 63:295-318. [PMID: 37606152 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Previous literature on conspiracy beliefs has an important gap, as it has almost completely excluded conspiracy beliefs relating to LGBTQ+ people. The purpose of the present research was to develop and validate a specific tool to measure the Gender Ideology and LGBTQ+ Lobby Conspiracies Beliefs: the GILC scale. Two independent data collections (Ntot = 1.908) were run involving both heterosexual and gay, lesbian and bisexual people. We expected a mono-factorial structure of the tool, with high levels of internal reliability, invariant by respondents' gender, sexual orientation and previous knowledge or hearsay of gender ideology. Furthermore, we expected that GILC scale manages to measure a differentiated construct: (a) compared to other specific and general conspiracy contents; (b) compared to a generic disposition to engage in conspiratorial mentality; (c) compared to existing measures of sexual prejudice, stereotypes and negative attitudes towards sexual minority people. In relation to criterion validity, we expected that several psychosocial and socio-political ideology variables (i.e. RWA and SDO), would associate with high levels in GILC scale. The results confirmed our expectations, showing that GILC scale is a short tool which include nine items with a mono-factorial structure and with excellent psychometric properties. Limitations and further research directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Salvati
- Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Valerio Pellegrini
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria De Cristofaro
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Giacomantonio
- Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Stoyanova K, Stoyanov D, Dzhambov AM. Retrospective Analysis of the Psychological Predictors of Public Health Support in Bulgarians at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050821. [PMID: 37239293 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The earliest critical context of the pandemic, preceding the first real epidemiological wave of contagion in Bulgaria, was examined using a socio-affective perspective. A retrospective and agnostic analytical approach was adopted. Our goal was to identify traits and trends that explain public health support (PHS) of Bulgarians during the first two months of the declared state of emergency. We investigated a set of variables with a unified method within an international scientific network named the International Collaboration on Social & Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (ICSMP) in April and May 2020. A total of 733 Bulgarians participated in the study (67.3% females), with an average age of 31.8 years (SD = 11.66). Conspiracy Theories Beliefs were a significant predictor of lower PHS. Psychological Well-Being was significantly associated with Physical Contact and Anti-Corona Policy Support. Physical Contact was significantly predicted by fewer Conspiracy Theories Beliefs, higher Collective Narcissism, Open-mindedness, higher Trait Self-Control, Moral Identity, Risk Perception and Psychological Well-Being. Physical Hygiene compliance was predicted by fewer Conspiracy Theories Beliefs, Collective Narcissism, Morality-as-Cooperation, Moral Identity and Psychological Well-Being. The results revealed two polar trends of support and non-support of public health policies. The contribution of this study is in providing evidence for the affective polarization and phenomenology of (non)precarity during the outbreak of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Stoyanova
- Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Research Group "Translational and Computational Neuroscience", Strategic Research and Innovation Program for Development of MU-Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Drozdstoy Stoyanov
- Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Research Group "Translational and Computational Neuroscience", Strategic Research and Innovation Program for Development of MU-Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Angel M Dzhambov
- Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Research Group "Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment", Strategic Research and Innovation Program for Development of MU-Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4002 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Fine M. Prec(ar)ious knowledge and the neoliberal academy: Towards re-imagining epistemic justice and critical psychology. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 62 Suppl 1:180-193. [PMID: 36576304 PMCID: PMC10108082 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
This epilogue is written in the ink of gratitude and provocation, reflecting on the essays that constitute the special issue on precarity. I briefly review the key gifts of the essays and then try to imagine how a social psychology of precarity could be theorized and engaged otherwise, with commitments to epistemic justice, designed with decolonizing methodologies and organized in solidarity with movements for social justice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Fine
- The CUNY Graduate Center, Critical Psychology, The Public Science ProjectCUNYNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Visiting Scholar at University of South AfricaPretoriaSouth Africa
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Coultas C, Reddy G, Lukate J. Towards a social psychology of precarity. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 62 Suppl 1:1-20. [PMID: 36637066 PMCID: PMC10108083 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This article introduces the special issue 'Towards a Social Psychology of Precarity' that develops an orienting lens for social psychologists' engagement with the concept. As guest editors of the special issue, we provide a thematic overview of how 'precarity' is being conceptualized throughout the social sciences, before distilling the nine contributions to the special issue. In so doing, we trace the ways in which social psychologists are (dis)engaging with the concept of precarity, yet too, explore how precarity constitutes, and is embedded within, the discipline itself. Resisting disciplinary decadence, we collectively explore what a social psychology of precarity could be, and view working with/in precarity as fundamental to addressing broader calls for the social responsiveness of the discipline. The contributing papers, which are methodologically pluralistic and provide rich conceptualisations of precarity, challenge reductionist individualist understandings of suffering and coping and extend social science theorizations on precarity. They also highlight the ways in which social psychology remains complicit in perpetuating different forms of precarity, for both communities and academics. We propose future directions for the social psychological study of precarity through four reflexive questions that we encourage scholars to engage with so that we may both work with/in, and intervene against, 'the precarious'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Coultas
- School of Education, Communication and Society, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Geetha Reddy
- Department of Psychology and Counselling, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Johanna Lukate
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, Göttingen, Germany
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