Conspiratorial Thinking Research Articles

Are conspiracy theorists psychotic? A comparison between conspiracy theories and paranoid delusions

IntroductionConspiracy theories are popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conspiratorial thinking is characterised by the strong conviction that a certain situation that one sees as unjust is the result of a deliberate conspiracy of a group of people with bad intentions. Conspiratorial thinking appears to have many similarities with paranoid delusions.ObjectivesTo explore the nature, consequences, and social-psychological dimensions of conspiratorial thinking, and describe similarities and differences with paranoid delusions.MethodsCritically assessing relevant literature about conspiratorial thinking and paranoid delusions.ResultsConspiratorial thinking meets epistemic, existential, and social needs. It provides clarity in uncertain times and connection with an in-group of like-minded people. Both conspiratorial thinking and paranoid delusions involve an unjust, persistent, and sometimes bizarre conviction. Unlike conspiracy theorists, people with a paranoid delusion are almost always the only target of the presumed conspiracy, and they usually stand alone in their conviction. Furthermore, conspiracy theories are not based as much on unusual experiences of their inner self, reality, or interpersonal contacts.ConclusionsConspirational thinking is common in uncertain circumstances. It gives grip, certainty, moral superiority and social support. Extreme conspirational thinking seems to fit current psychiatric definitions of paranoid delusions, but there are also important differences. To make a distinction with regard to conspiratorial thinking, deepening of conventional definitions of delusions is required. Instead of the strong focus on the erroneous content of delusions, more attention should be given to the underlying idiosyncratic, changed way of experiencing reality.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Belief in false information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and a tendency to conspiracy thinking as factors that may exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression among Polish citizens

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has become the subject of intense discussion on social media platforms. Fake news and conspiracy theories about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in particular its origin, spread, impact on health and prevention, have become especially popular. The social crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a growing tendency to believe in conspiracy theories, which in turn may contribute to an increase in anxiety tension and thus deteriorate the psychological health of citizens.ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to determine the relationships between the tendency to believe in false information about the COVID-19 pandemic and the severity of symptoms of anxiety and depression among the surveyed Polish citizens.MethodsThe study included 700 Polish people aged 24.7±6.34 years. We used questionnaires such as: COVID-19 Conspiratorial Beliefs Scale to measure the level of belief in false information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale to measure tendencies to believe in conspiracy theories, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.ResultsBelief in false information about the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with a slight increase in the severity of both anxiety symptoms (b=0.044; p=0.021) and depression (b=0.048; p=0.004). A factor known as belief in the criminal activity of government organizations may also contribute to predicting the increase in the severity of symptoms of anxiety (b=0.172; p=0.001) and depression (b=0.169; p=0.000) during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsBelief in false information about the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as belief in general conspiracy theories, can contribute to the psychological deterioration of citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Analysis of the Influence of Political Polarization in the Vaccination Stance: The Brazilian COVID-19 Scenario

The outbreak of COVID‐19 had a huge global impact, and non-scientific beliefs and political polarization have significantly influenced the population's behavior. In this context, COVID vaccines were made available at an unprecedented time, but a high level of hesitance has been observed that can undermine community immunization. Traditionally, anti-vaccination attitudes are more related to conspiratorial thinking than political bias. In Brazil, a country with an exemplar tradition in large-scale vaccination programs, all COVID-related topics have also been discussed under a strong political bias. In this paper, we use a multi-dimensional analysis framework to understand if anti/pro-vaccination stances expressed by Brazilians in social media are influenced by political polarization. The analysis framework incorporates techniques to automatically infer from users their political orientation, topic modeling to discover their concerns, network analysis to characterize their social behavior, and the characterization of information sources and external influence. Our main findings confirm that anti/pro-stances are biased by political polarization, right and left, respectively. While a significant proportion of pro-vaxxers display haste for an immunization program and criticize the government's actions, the anti-vaxxers distrust a vaccine developed in a record time. Anti-vaccination stance is also related to prejudice against China (anti-sinovaxxers), revealing conspiratorial theories related to communism. All groups display an ``echo chamber" behavior, revealing they are not open to distinct views.

‘Just another story that was prepared in advance’ - political distrust, Islamism, and conspiratorial thinking in Arab public opinion on the Islamic State

ABSTRACT In many Arab countries, political and media discourse about the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) tended to blend discussions of root causes with conspiratorial narratives about the perceived malign actions and motives of external actors. Investigating the role which conspiratorial narratives play in (de)stabilizing political order across the Arab world, this analysis demonstrates that distrust in the political system and support for Islamist ideas are associated with the willingness to blame external actors such as the United States and Israel for the creation of the Islamic State. The results thus demonstrate how closely intertwined the production and spread of conspiracy theories are with the crisis of Islamist ideology and authoritarian governance in the Arab world.

Filling in the Gaps: False Memories and Partisan Bias

While cognitive psychologists have learned a great deal about people's propensity for constructing and acting on false memories, the connection between false memories and politics remains understudied. If partisan bias guides the adoption of beliefs and colors one's interpretation of new events and information, so too might it prove powerful enough to fabricate memories of political circumstances. Across two studies, we first distinguish false memories from false beliefs and expressive responses; false political memories appear to be genuine and subject to partisan bias. We also examine the political and psychological correlates of false memories. Nearly a third of respondents reported remembering a fabricated or factually altered political event, with many going so far as to convey the circumstances under which they “heard about” the event. False‐memory recall is correlated with the strength of partisan attachments, interest in politics, and participation, as well as narcissism, conspiratorial thinking, and cognitive ability.

When knowledge is blinding: The dangers of being certain about the future during uncertain societal events

Past research has independently examined the concepts of certainty and future thought. Here we combine these concepts by examining the cognitive and behavioral outcomes of certainty about the future during periods of societal uncertainty. Three studies (N = 1218) examined future certainty, defined as feeling certain about some future event or outcome, during two major societal events of uncertainty—the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. In Study 1, certainty about positive or negative futures of COVID-19 (e.g., the pandemic will end soon; the pandemic will never end) predicted poorer information seeking—ignorance of medical experts, adherence to conspiratorial thinking, and lower objective knowledgeability about COVID-19. Building on these findings, in Study 2, future certainty predicted antisocial health behaviors, including failing to social distance. Study 3 extended these findings to the political domain—the 2020 Presidential Election. Future certainty that one's preferred candidate would win the election predicted poor information seeking and antisocial behaviors in terms of claiming that the election was rigged, endorsing violence if one's candidate lost, and, among Trump supporters, identifying with Capitol insurrectionists. These findings suggest that future certainty is linked to intellectual blindness and antisocial behaviors during important periods of societal uncertainty.

Normalization after Covid-19 Pandemic: Way Forward Towards Healthy Recovery

The world as we know has changed. While a global pandemic has been an ominous risk for decades, COVID-19 came as a jolt, characterized by the functional interdependencies of the social, economic and public health systems. The initial shock and systemic failures from policy unpreparedness, not only bared open the fault lines of social injustice and inequity, but also led to xenophobic orientation and conspiratorial thinking. Social isolation, mental health illness, redundancies, financial difficulties and permanent closure of many businesses were the fall out of this crisis. The world adapted and moved from physical to digital. Financial systems, education, industry and entertainment were restructured and decentralized. The pandemic also had significant effect on the sociopolitical trends including sense of human solidarity, rebuilding of national pride, work-home balance, reducing human impact on climate and the selfless dedication of health professionals.
 The pandemic’s chaos presented an opportunity to reevaluate priorities and develop new strategic solutions to the disruptions caused by tactical difficulties consequent to this plague. The interdependencies of our society, use of information technology and exceptional computational sciences, are the so-called new normal, the most appropriate way to do governance in an era of hyper connectedness. The pandemic has shown that economic and social determinants of ill-health are strong predictors of health outcome. There is a need to work for universal health coverage as it is in everyone’s interest that people who feel unwell should not check their pocket before they seek help. It is also imperative to integrate community-led services into public systems so as to enable universal access, Free healthcare is not only vital for tackling pandemics but it also prevents millions of people from falling into extreme poverty by the cost of healthcare every year. One also needs to strengthen social safety nets to enhance resilience, given the interrelation between health and livelihoods. Lastly, developing a common culture that emphasizes personal responsibility in the public interest, is essential. It is important to underscore that the biggest steps forward in health have usually happened in response to a major crisis as raising of post-Second World War health systems across Europe or establishment of NHS in United Kingdom.
 Thus, coronavirus crisis, first and foremost a health crisis, has complex and long-term consequences. Policy preparedness, financing our health, and business leadership are key to resilience against such large systemic shocks. It can therefore be seen as an important opportunity for largescale, deep-seated structural change, far beyond the obvious, in scale and scope.
 Editor-in-Chief
 
 How to cite this: Alamgir W, Gilani RA. Normalization after Covid-19 Pandemic: Way Forward Towards Healthy Recovery. Life and Science. 2022; 3(2): 64-64 . doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.250
 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Political tolerance in Europe: The role of conspiratorial thinking and cosmopolitanism

AbstractTolerance has long been identified as a crucial feature of liberal democracies. Although the limits of tolerance are debated, the extent to which citizens are open and willing to accommodate others who are different from them is often regarded as a sign of a healthy and well‐functioning liberal democracy. The goal of this paper is to empirically investigate the state of political tolerance in Europe today. The main questions we ask are: What explains the different levels of tolerance across individuals in various countries? Which groups in society are the most likely targets of intolerance? We understand political tolerance as the willingness to allow the free articulation of interests and ideas in the political system of groups one opposes. Previous research emphasizes education, civic activism and threat perceptions as important determinants of tolerance. We redirect the debate to a set of novel correlates of tolerance. We argue that conspiratorial thinking and cosmopolitanism are critical factors that explain levels of tolerance among Europeans. The analysis employs original survey data collected as part of a mass survey conducted in 2017 in 10 European Union member states: Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Our descriptive analysis shows that far‐right groups (i.e., fascists and neo‐Nazis) and Muslims are the most disliked groups in Europe. When it comes to the level of tolerance towards these groups, we find that more than half of the respondents in each country are willing to deny their most disliked group parliamentary representation. Moreover, we find that even after controlling for traditional determinants of tolerance, conspiratorial thinking and cosmopolitanism emerge as the most important predictors of political tolerance. Our analysis suggests that the recent rapid spread of various conspiracy theories related to the COVID‐19 pandemic is likely to have far‐reaching implications for tolerance as well.

Political Ideology, Ingroup Favoritism, and Conspiratorial Thinking: Patriotism, Nationalism, and COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories.

This article examined the relationship between ideology and conspiratorial thinking and the related mediating effect of ingroup favoritism in a non-Western society. We investigated patriotism and nationalism as two favorable orientations toward national ingroups. We also examined their relationship with the general conspiracy mentality and the specific conspiracy beliefs that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that conservative ideology was associated with conspiratorial beliefs in China regardless of the specific conspiracy theories related to ingroups or outgroups, which indicates such tendencies may exist universally across cultures. Patriotism was not associated with conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19, whereas nationalism was negatively associated with the conspiracy theories about China (an ingroup) and positively associated with conspiracy theories about the US (an outgroup). Moreover, nationalism mediated the relationship between ideology and specific conspiracy beliefs during the pandemic. The general conspiracy mentality did not predict conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19. The results indicate that believing conspiracy theories is not only the result of a stable conspiracy mentality but is also influenced by ideology and intergroup relations.

#FreeBritney and the Pleasures of Conspiracy

#FreeBritney and the Pleasures of Conspiracy

Conspiracy

Conspiracy

Anxiety and covid-19 compliance behaviors in the UK: The moderating role of conspiratorial thinking

The Covid-19 pandemic raised many societal problems, one of them being convincing people to comply with government measures to control its spread. In the UK, many unprecedented measures were taken to that end. Public health bodies often use fear appeals to encourage people to obey the rules. What happens though when individuals hold beliefs contrary to government narrative? In this study, the relationship between coronavirus induced anxiety and compliance behavior over the first UK lockdown is examined in relation to general conspiratorial beliefs and specific Covid-19 conspiracy myths. Results suggest a small interaction between specific Covid-19 conspiracy beliefs and anxiety, and that while for most, increased anxiety enforces compliance, for those with conspiratorial beliefs regarding Covid-19 (but not general conspiratorial beliefs), this may not be true. Fear appeals may be successful for the majority, but a small minority may continue to ignore advice. Implications for public health are discussed.

Barriers and facilitators of willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19: Role of prosociality, authoritarianism and conspiracy mentality. A four-wave longitudinal study

AimWe investigated longitudinal relations between individual willingness to undergo vaccination against COVID-19 and three social factors: conspiracy mentality, prosociality, and authoritarianism. MethodThis longitudinal study comprised four measurement points. The first wave sample included 1130 responses and was representative of the Polish population in terms of gender, age, and place of residence. Analyses were performed using random intercept cross-lagged panel models. ResultsWe observed bidirectional positive cross-lagged relationships between prosociality and willingness to undergo vaccination in the first three waves of measurement. Authoritarianism and conspiracy mentality translated into a lower willingness to vaccinate between the third and fourth points of measurement when the vaccination became a near-term possibility. ConclusionsEliciting prosocial motivation to vaccinate can be paramount in overcoming vaccine hesitancy. Because conspiracy thinking may be a crucial barrier to willingness to be vaccinated, it is critical to focus on planning interventions and campaigns undermining conspiracy theories about COVID-19.

Alt. Health Influencers: how wellness culture and web culture have been weaponised to promote conspiracy theories and far-right extremism during the COVID-19 pandemic

This article examines the proliferation of alt. health influencers during the COVID-19 pandemic. I analyse the self-presentation strategies used by four alt. health influencers to achieve visibility and status on Instagram over a 12-month period from 11 March 2020, when the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organisation. My analysis reveals the ways in which these influencers appeal to the utopian discourses of early web culture and the underlying principles of wellness culture to build and sustain an online following. While early accounts of micro-celebrity treat participatory culture as democratising and progressive, this article demonstrates how the participatory affordances of social media have been exploited to spread misinformation, conspiratorial thinking and far-right extremism. These findings develop previous work on ‘conspirituality’ by demonstrating how wellness culture and web culture can coalesce for authoritarian ends.

Validity testing of the conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiment scales during the COVID-19 pandemic across 24 languages from a large-scale global dataset.

In this study, we tested the validity across two scales addressing conspiratorial thinking that may influence behaviours related to public health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the COVIDiSTRESSII Global Survey data from 12 261 participants, we validated the 4-item Conspiratorial Thinking Scale and 3-item Anti-Expert Sentiment Scale across 24 languages and dialects that were used by at least 100 participants per language. We employed confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance test and measurement alignment for internal consistency testing. To test convergent validity of the two scales, we assessed correlations with trust in seven agents related to government, science and public health. Although scalar invariance was not achieved when measurement invariance test was conducted initially, we found that both scales can be employed in further international studies with measurement alignment. Moreover, both conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments were significantly and negatively correlated with trust in all agents. Findings from this study provide supporting evidence for the validity of both scales across 24 languages for future large-scale international research.

Conspiratorial thinking in the Latino community on the 2020 election

Political knowledge is the cornerstone of a functional representative democracy, but belief in conspiracy theories disrupts that connection and may be dangerous with consequences for democracy. Pundits and politicians have speculated about the cause and effect of misinformation and conspiracy theories, but no work has examined what causes beliefs in conspiracy theories or misinformation among Latinos specifically. In a unique survey of Texas Latinos prior to the 2020 election, we find belief in conspiracy theories is most related to support for Donald Trump and greater reliance on Spanish-language media and social media. The results highlight how conspiratorial thinking manifests in specific ethnic groups and the need to counter those beliefs in Spanish-language media.

Factors affecting conspiracy theory endorsement in paranoia.

Paranoia and conspiracy thinking are known to be distinct but correlated constructs, but it is unknown whether certain types of conspiracy thinking are more common in paranoia than others. In a large (n = 1000), pre-registered online study we tested if endorsement of items on a new Components of Conspiracy Ideation Questionnaire varied according to whether harm was described as being (a) intentional and (b) self-referential. Our predictions were supported: paranoia was positively associated with endorsement of items on this questionnaire overall and more paranoid individuals were more likely to endorse items describing intentional and self-referential harm. Belief in any item on the Components of Conspiracy Ideation Questionnaire was associated with belief in others and items describing incidental harm and harm to others were found to be more believable overall. Individuals who endorsed conspiracy theory items on the questionnaire were more likely to state that people similar to them would as well, although this effect was not reduced in paranoia, counter to our expectations.

Why does the AKP hate cultivated minds? The historical background of anti-intellectualism of political Islam in Turkey

Abstract: This paper attempts to understand the recent wave of anti-intellectualism swaying Turkey’s cultural and political life under the AKP government. Scrutinising the root causes of anti-intellectual notions of political Islam in Turkey, this paper propounds that negative thoughts and sentiments toward intellectualism were strong in post-WWII political Islamist thought and movement. The mindset of Islamist youth enculturated in this atmosphere was shaped substantially by a reactionary mode towards self-cultivation of the individual, critical thinking and social criticism. In this regard, four aspects of this legacy are closely scrutinised. To reflect upon this process of enculturation, this paper first discusses the features of the Sunni Sufi tradition that inhibit intellectual cultivation. Second, the impact of the anti-communist activism of the Cold War is investigated. Third, the conspiracy thinking of the üstad s of political Islam is revisited. Fourth, anti-scientism of the political Islamists is pointed out as an element yielding their anti-intellectual inclinations.

Q přijíždí na bílém koni: konspirační teorie u mormonů, aneb, Proč 16 milionové americké náboženství inklinuje ke QAnonu?

This text deals with Mormon conspiracism, the belief in conspiracies among members of the Mormon religion. I examine how conspiracy theories are reflected in Mormon culture, history, and faith and how they were influenced by the emergence of Denver Snuffer's modern neo-fundamentalist movement. Using the example of the new age movement and Mormon preppers, I show the growing influence of conspiracy thinking and its connection to Donald Trump and the QAnon theory. Using the story of Nathan Wayne Entrekin, one of the participants in the January 6, 2021, insurrection who came dressed as a warrior from the Book of Mormon, I elaborate on the fundamentalist and conspiracy roots of early Mormonism in the times of Joseph Smith. That is combined with multiple testimonies from John Dehlin's Mormon Stories Podcast as it reflected the apocalyptic Mormon milieu from 2010-2020. In the final part, I analyze Mormon neo-fundamentalism through the social myth theory of Radek Chlup, who describes three categories of myth (political, fictional, and conspirator) and how they affect the popularity of these myths.

Witnessing History: Reflections on Teaching in Turbulent Times

Prior political turmoil in the United States constituted a precarious foundation for living and teaching through a pandemic. In this essay, I contend that pandemic separation and ideological distortion have exacerbated polarization and distrust. I also consider the pedagogical implications of rising extremist discourses and conspiratorial thinking for both students and faculty. Educators must pay attention to the rising threat of extremism and consider that our students may be susceptible to radical antidemocratic ideologies as well. To conclude, I provide examples from some of my classes in the communication discipline to illustrate my approach to teaching the complicated intersections of rhetoric and reality in today’s polarized political climate.