COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Research Articles

Fascist cross-pollination of Australian conspiracist Telegram channels

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about trauma and uncertainty for vast swathes of the world population, including in Australia. One effect of this has been the growth of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, and general conspiracism. This article explores efforts by fascists and neo-Nazis to exploit the rise in conspiratorial thinking for recruitment and dissemination of their ideas. Five Australian conspiracist Telegram channels are studied for signs of fascist cross-pollination, and it is found that users with fascist sympathies attempt to influence the channels’ discourse through appeals to purported ideological and situational commonalities.

What drives beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories? The role of psychotic-like experiences and confinement-related factors

RationaleThe COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide threat to public health and the global economy. The climate of fear and uncertainty associated with the pandemic has fostered the emergence of a wide range of COVID-19 conspiracy theories that have the potential to shape public opinion and hinder the effective dissemination of valid information. Beliefs in conspiracy theories have been associated with maladaptive personality traits such as schizotypy and paranoia, as well as other non-psychotic psychological characteristics (e.g., social isolation, stress). MethodsAn online survey was conducted to examine the associations between beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and psychotic-like experiences in a Portuguese community sample (N = 438), while also addressing the role of sociodemographic variables, psychological outcomes (e.g., stress, affective states), confinement-related factors (e.g., confinement conditions/behaviors), and pandemic-related factors (e.g., health concerns, financial issues). ResultsFindings suggest that psychotic-like experiences are associated with beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, particularly perceptual abnormalities and persecutory ideation. Moreover, increased health-related concerns and reduced education levels also seem to be liability factors for these conspiracy beliefs. ConclusionThese results add important insights into how the adherence to illogical and erroneous disease-related arguments can be related to psychotic-like experiences. COVID-19 conspiracy theories are yet another major challenge that governments and policymakers must contemplate when defining strategic directions to manage the current and future pandemics.

Can Fake News Detection Models Maintain the Performance through Time? A Longitudinal Evaluation of Twitter Publications

The negative impact of false information on social networks is rapidly growing. Current research on the topic focused on the detection of fake news in a particular context or event (such as elections) or using data from a short period of time. Therefore, an evaluation of the current proposals in a long-term scenario where the topics discussed may change is lacking. In this work, we deviate from current approaches to the problem and instead focus on a longitudinal evaluation using social network publications spanning an 18-month period. We evaluate different combinations of features and supervised models in a long-term scenario where the training and testing data are ordered chronologically, and thus the robustness and stability of the models can be evaluated through time. We experimented with 3 different scenarios where the models are trained with 15-, 30-, and 60-day data periods. The results show that detection models trained with word-embedding features are the ones that perform better and are less likely to be affected by the change of topics (for example, the rise of COVID-19 conspiracy theories). Furthermore, the additional days of training data also increase the performance of the best feature/model combinations, although not very significantly (around 2%). The results presented in this paper build the foundations towards a more pragmatic approach to the evaluation of fake news detection models in social networks.

Propaganda dan Teori Konspirasi: Wacana Masyarakat terhadap Covid-19 di Indonesia

The conspiracy theory allows non-existent information to be exist. Likewise with propaganda which causes information to roll without being able to ascertain its correctness because its purpose is to manipulate public opinion. This study aims to see the complexity of the fight against the Covid-19 discourse in Indonesian society. This study used a qualitative method with a critical discourse analysis approach. Data collection was obtained from online media and social media, especially Twitter in the April 2020 period. The data were analyzed by using the Critical Discourse Analysis model of Fairclough. The result of this study indicated that it was not enough for the Covid-19 outbreak to be reported as a natural virus, but to be explored into a controversial discourse in the form of a conspiracy theory. The propaganda of the Covid-19 conspiracy theory was carried out through social media. Belief in conspiracy theory was caused by three things, they were people needed definite and reasonable answer to the phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic, they wanted to have control over their lives, and the impact of Post Truth era. Keywords: Propaganda, Conspiracy Theory, Discourse, Covid-19

Does the platform matter? Social media and COVID-19 conspiracy theory beliefs in 17 countries

While the role of social media in the spread of conspiracy theories has received much attention, a key deficit in previous research is the lack of distinction between different types of platforms. This study places the role of social media affordances in facilitating the spread of conspiracy beliefs at the center of its enquiry. We examine the relationship between platform use and conspiracy theory beliefs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relying on the concept of technological affordances, we theorize that variation across key features make some platforms more fertile places for conspiracy beliefs than others. Using data from a crossnational dataset based on a two-wave online survey conducted in 17 countries before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we show that Twitter has a negative effect on conspiracy beliefs—as opposed to all other platforms under examination which are found to have a positive effect.

Are COVID-19 conspiracies a threat to public health? Psychological characteristics and health protective behaviours of believers.

We tested the link between COVID‐19 conspiracy theories and health protective behaviours in three studies: one at the onset of the pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK), a second just before the first national lockdown, and a third during that lockdown (N = 302, 404 and 399). We focused on conspiracy theories that did not deny the existence of COVID‐19 and evaluated the extent to which they predicted a range of health protective behaviours, before and after controlling for psychological and sociodemographic characteristics associated with conspiracy theory belief. COVID‐19 conspiracy beliefs were positively correlated with beliefs in other unrelated conspiracies and a general conspiracy mind‐set, and negatively correlated with trust in government and a tendency towards analytical thinking (vs. intuitive thinking). Unexpectedly, COVID‐19 conspiracy believers adhered to basic health guidelines and advanced health protective measures as strictly as non‐believers. Conspiracy believers were, however, less willing to install the contact‐tracing app, get tested for and vaccinated against COVID‐19, and were more likely to share COVID‐19 misinformation—all of which might undermine public health initiatives. Study 3 showed conspiracy theory believers were less willing to undertake health protective behaviours that were outside of their personal control, perceiving these as having a negative balance of risks and benefits. We discuss models explaining conspiracy beliefs and health protective behaviours, and suggest practical recommendations for public health initiatives.

Persuasive Messages Will Not Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: Evidence from a Nationwide Online Experiment.

Although mass vaccination is the best way out of the pandemic, the share of skeptics is substantial in most countries. Social campaigns can emphasize the many arguments that potentially increase acceptance for vaccines: e.g., that they have been developed, tested, and recommended by doctors and scientists; and that they are safe, effective, and in demand. We verified the effectiveness of such messages in an online experiment conducted in February and March 2021 with a sample of almost six thousand adult Poles, which was nationally representative in terms of key demographic variables. We presented respondents with different sets of information about vaccinating against COVID-19. After reading the information bundle, they indicated whether they would be willing to be vaccinated. We also asked them to justify their answers and indicate who or what might change their opinion. Finally, we elicited a number of individual characteristics and opinions. We found that nearly 45% of the respondents were unwilling to be vaccinated, and none of the popular messages we used was effective in reducing this hesitancy. We also observed a number of significant correlates of vaccination attitudes, with men, older, wealthier, and non-religious individuals, those with higher education, and those trusting science rather than COVID-19 conspiracy theories being more willing to be vaccinated. We discuss important consequences for campaigns aimed at reducing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

Digital contact-tracing in France: uptake by COVID-19 risk factor and by exposure risk.

Few studies have investigated the influence of COVID-19 conspiracy theories on digital contact-tracing adoption and the differentiated uptake of digital contact-tracing by COVID-19 risk factor and by exposure risk. Using a cross-sectional survey conducted in France in November 2020 (N=1042), we investigate the factors associated with the use of the French 'TousAntiCovid' contact-tracing application. Our independent variables of interest include COVID-19 and 'TousAntiCovid' perceptions, trust in the government, time and risk preferences and the level of adherence to COVID-19 conspiracy theories. We conduct regression analyses by COVID-19 risk factor and exposure groups. Among the full sample, a negative association is found between the propensity to believe in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and the use of 'TousAntiCovid'. French respondents at risk of severe COVID-19 form are more likely to use 'TousAntiCovid'. No difference in uptake is found by exposure group. Group analyses indicate that the factors associated with the uptake of digital contact-tracing differ by COVID-19 risk factor and exposure risk. Governmental communication to fight COVID-19 misinformation and to stress out the utility and data safety of 'TousAntiCovid' should be reinforced. Targeted communication campaigns should be conducted among low adoption groups and key groups in COVID-19 transmission.

Research note: Understanding offline Covid-19 conspiracy theories: A content analysis of The Light “truthpaper”

This article explores the ways in which offline conspiracist material concerned with Covid-19 is presented and structured through a content analysis of The Light, a newspaper produced and distributed by activists in the U.K. Our analysis shows that conspiracy theories related to Covid-19 are included alongside a range of other, non-conspiracist content and that readers encounter these ideas in a format which closely resembles a conventional newspaper. We also find evidence that The Light includes content that is aimed at prompting participation and activism amongst adherents of conspiracy theories, rather than simply presenting information. These findings have implications for policymakers aiming to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 misinformation and provide a corrective to the focus of recent research on online dissemination of conspiracist material.

PERCEPTIONS OF COVID-19 INFODEMIC AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN AFRICA: INSIGHT FROM BENIN CITY RESIDENTS IN NIGERIA

This study was an examination of the perceptions of COVID-19 infodemic and conspiracy theories in Africa: Insight from Benin City residents in Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to find out the perception of COVID19 infodemics and conspiracy theories in Africa; find out the various COVID-19 infodemics and conspiracy theories in Africa;and examine the level of dorminance of COVID-19 infodemics and conspiracy theories in Africa. The study population was 544, 499. Four hundred copies of questionnaire were distributed while 389 were retrieved and found usable. Findings from the study showed that there is still a huge dominance and acceptance of COVID-19 infodemics and conspiracy theories in Africa. The study therefore recommended that Africans should learn to always verify all COVID-19 information story they see and hear especially on social media as some of them are mere conspiracy theories and infodemics.

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions and attitudes in France

ObjectivesThe objective of the study is to investigate the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions and attitudes in France. Study designAn online cross-sectional study was conducted among a representative sample of the French population between November 20th and 23rd 2020 (N = 1146). MethodsFactors associated with the intention to get vaccinated and with COVID-19 vaccine attitudes were estimated using ordered logistic and multinomial logistic regressions, respectively. Independent variables of interest include COVID-19 and vaccine perceptions, trust, endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and time/risk preferences. ResultsOnly 30.5% of our respondents would agree to get vaccinated against COVID-19 during the first semester of 2021 while 31.1% declare being unsure of their vaccination intentions. COVID-19 risk perceptions are associated with vaccination intentions and attitudes. Individual and collective benefits of the vaccine and the concerns over its safety are strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions and attitudes. Vaccine acceptors are more willing to take risks in the health domain compared with vaccine hesitant respondents which indicates that the COVID-19 vaccine is perceived as a greater health risk than the COVID-19 itself by some respondents. We also find a positive association between future preference and the willingness to get vaccinated. ConclusionAwareness campaigns should be conducted to enhance vaccination uptake among vaccine hesitant individuals. These campaigns could highlight the positive benefit-risk balance of the COVID-19 vaccines or the short-term benefits of vaccination and should reinsure the public on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Social media and the spread of COVID-19 conspiracy theories in Nigeria

Background: Amidst the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there seems to be an avalanche of conspiracy theories that abound on social media platforms, and this subject attracted a lot of research interest. This study aimed to examine the "social media and the spread Covid-19 conspiracy theories in Nigeria" in light of the above. 
 Methods: The study adopted a qualitative design in order to explore the subject matter thoroughly. Thirty-five participants were conveniently sampled, and interviews were conducted to retrieved data from the participants.
 Results: Findings of this study revealed that there is a prevalence of conspiracy theories that have saturated social media ever since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also found that ignorance, religious fanaticism, lack of censorship, and insufficient counter information on social media platforms are some of the possible factors that aided the spread of Covid-19 conspiracy theories among Nigerian social media users.
 Conclusion: This study recommends, among other things, that there is a swift need to curtail the spread of conspiracy theories through consistent dissemination of counter-information by both individuals and agencies like the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Nigerian Centre for Disease and Control (NCDC).

Covering Conspiracy: Approaches to Reporting the COVID/5G Conspiracy Theory

Conspiracy theories about the ‘real’ origins of the coronavirus have co-evolved with media coverage of the COVID-19 crisis itself; the World Health Organization now warns about a global “infodemic” paralleling the viral pandemic. Covering these conspiracy theories presents difficult editorial choices for news organizations. This article examines how diverse news outlets chose to report on one key COVID-19 conspiracy theory: the (entirely unfounded) claim that 5G telecommunications technology severely worsened or even caused the pandemic. We draw on online article data from the global news database GDELT to examine the coverage of COVID/5G conspiracy theories: we trace the changing nature of conspiracist claims; chart the expansion of coverage from fringe media to respected mainstream outlets; and pay particular attention to key stories that significantly increase the reach of reporting about this conspiracy theory. Arising from this analysis are new questions for journalists: what role does their coverage of such conspiracy theories play in amplifying them? Are there newsbeats that are particularly vulnerable to problematic information? Can they adjust their reporting to avoid aiding the circulation of conspiracist ideas?

Promoting COVID-19 vaccination through music and drama-Lessons from early phase of the pandemic.

Promoting COVID-19 vaccination through music and drama-Lessons from early phase of the pandemic.

PERILAKU MENENTANG PROTOKOL KESEHATAN DIPENGARUHI OLEH TEORI KONSPIRASI VIRUS COVID-19 DITINJAU DENGAN TEORI INTERAKSIONISME SIMBOLIK

ABSTRACTConspiracy theory is a tendency to assume that a large event has been planned in secret by a powerful and evil entity, and acts simultaneously. lately, there are so many conspiracy theories in the world about covid-19 conspiracy theories, which can certainly cause a misinformation from the media to the general public, leading to violations of health protocols. Using symbolic interactionism theory, I wanted to analyze how behaviors opposing health protocols are influenced by viral conspiracy theories with symbolic interactionism theory. The method used is the study of literature, scientific literature, as well as credible sources. The result is that by believing the conspiracy theory covid-19 with various factors behind it such as age, education, income, and psychological condition. Narrative and persuasion communication styles can also influence some individuals to believe that the conspiracy theory is real. Some individuals commit violations of health protocols as a form of distrust they have. preventive measures that can be done is to conduct counseling on the importance of following health protocols, as well as regulation of the media regarding information that is not true existence.

Social media skepticism and belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19: the moderating role of the dark triad.

The prevalence of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 in the wide-open social media environment has raised considerable concerns about the adverse effects of believing such theories. The previous work showed that skepticism is negatively associated with acceptance of media content. However, this association has yet to be investigated between skepticism towards content on social media and conviction of COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Furthermore, this association can be a function of social media users’ dark triad traits comprising Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy. A convenient sample of 439 Malaysian young adult social media users was recruited to complete the survey. Results showed that skepticism has a negative relationship with belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19. However, the strength of the relationship is varied depending on respondents’ Machiavellianism and narcissism levels. The negative association between skepticism and belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories is weaker for individuals with high scores on Machiavellianism. High and moderate scores on narcissism were also found to diminish the negative relationship of skepticism with COVID-19 conspiracy ideation. The results yield implications for enhancing healthy skepticism to mitigate belief in conspiracy theories promulgated on social media. Nonetheless, Machiavellianism and narcissism appeared to weaken the power of skepticism on conspiracy theories.

I Wear a Mask for My Country: Conspiracy Theories, Nationalism, and Intention to Adopt Covid-19 Prevention Behaviors at the Later Stage of Pandemic Control in China

ABSTRACT Various conspiracy theories have accompanied COVID-19 since its initial outbreak. Based on a nationwide survey in China, this study probes the health consequences of beliefs in different COVID-19 conspiracy theories in China. The research found that believing the coronavirus has a foreign natural origin was associated with increased rather than decreased intention to adopt protective behaviors. Nonetheless, believing that the source of the pandemic was a Chinese lab or that it is a foreign biological weapon was related to reduced intentions to protect one’s health. In addition, measured as national pride and satisfaction with China’s pandemic control effort, people’s level of nationalism was strongly associated with their intention to adopt protective behaviors, which moderates the health consequences of believing in false conspiracy theories. Scientific literacy was also associated with an increased likelihood of adopting preventive measures. Despite revealing the diversified health consequences of conspiracy beliefs, this study demonstrates the importance of examining collectivist sociopolitical constructs in health communication.

Culture Clash in Organizations

This symposium is designed to advance research on cultural clash, the dissonant interactions of members from separate cultures, within and beyond organizations. The literature has long established that culture clash degrades organizational performance. The papers in this symposium prod this assumption, examining its mechanisms and scope conditions, establishing when and how culture clash occurs. The first presentation examines how status disagreement emerges from diversity in collectivist orientation, undermining group productivity. The second presentation studies group assimilation and power asymmetries in a post-merger organization using computational linguistic analysis of email communication. The third presentation looks at culture clash among founding teams in start-ups, finding that founding teams with high interpersonal cultural diversity adopt industry-typical cultural scripts while founding teams with high intrapersonal cultural diversity cultivate distinctive cultures. Finally, the fourth presentation theorizes how extreme groups build strong cultural beliefs and attract new members by studying the proliferation of Covid-19 conspiracy theories on Twitter. Taken together, the papers in this symposium revisit old assumptions and theories of culture clash, updating them with innovative experiments, modern computational linguistic techniques, and novel data sets. Perceiving Status through Different Cultural Lenses Presenter: Sujin Jang; INSEAD Presenter: Catarina Fernandes; Emory U., Goizueta Business School A Language-Based Method for Measuring Inter-Group Boundaries and Assimilation Presenter: Anjali M. Bhatt; Harvard Business School Presenter: Amir Goldberg; Stanford U. Agreeing to Be Different: Founding Team Cultural Diversity and Startup Cultural Atypicality Presenter: Yeonsin Ahn; INSEAD The Other Pandemic: #Coronahoax Conspiracy Theories Presenter: Henrich Greve; INSEAD Presenter: Hayagreeva Rao; Stanford U. Presenter: Paul Vicinanza; Stanford Graduate School of Business Presenter: Yan Echo Zhou; -

Conspiracy Theories, Psychological Distress, and Sympathy for Violent Radicalization in Young Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread uncertainty, promoted psychological distress, and fueled interpersonal conflict. The concomitant upsurge in endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is worrisome because they are associated with both non-adherence to public health guidelines and intention to commit violence. This study investigates associations between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for violent radicalization (VR) and psychological distress among young adults in Canada. We hypothesized that (a) endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories is positively associated with support for VR, and (b) psychological distress modifies the relationship between COVID-19 conspiracy theories and support for VR. A total of 6003 participants aged 18–35 years old residing in four major Canadian cities completed an online survey between 16 October 2020 and 17 November 2020, that included questions about endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, support for VR, psychological distress, and socio-economic status. Endorsement of conspiracy theories was associated with support for VR in multivariate regression (β = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80–0.96). There is a significant interaction effect between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and psychological distress (β = 0.49, 95% CI 0.40–0.57). The magnitude of the association was stronger in individuals reporting high psychological distress (β = 1.36, 95% CI 1.26–1.46) compared to those reporting low psychological distress (β = 0.47, 95% CI 0.35–0.59). The association between endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories and VR represents a public health challenge requiring immediate attention. The interaction with psychological distress suggests that policy efforts should combine communication and psychological strategies to mitigate the legitimation of violence.

When scientific literacy meets nationalism: Exploring the underlying factors in the Chinese public’s belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories

This study investigated public beliefs in coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) conspiracy theories in China. It also examined the dynamic mechanisms underlying these beliefs. On the basis of a national sample (N = 1,000), three types of COVID-19 conspiracy theories were identified. Type I relates to the pandemic’s foreign origin. Type II is defined as “China as culprit” conspiracy theories, and Type III refers to the virus as being primarily a Western creation. The results revealed that nationalism and scientific literacy were significantly associated with conspiracy beliefs. There was a relationship between scientific literacy and a weaker belief in almost all COVID-19 conspiracy theories. Nationalism was associated with a stronger belief in theories favorable to China and a weaker belief in “China as culprit” theories. Media trust and attitudes toward science were also associated with conspiracy beliefs. However, the association depended on the nature of the media outlets and conspiracy theories. These findings are indicative of the multifaceted nature of conspiracy beliefs in China and the robust political dimensions of the relationship between such beliefs and science or media factors.