scholarly journals COVID-19 as an Undesirable Political Issue: Conspiracy Beliefs and Intolerance of Uncertainty Predict Adhesion to Prevention Measures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jéssica Esther Machado Farias ◽  
Ronaldo Pilati
Keyword(s):  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Political Issue ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Political Partisanship ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
And Control

Conspiracy theories tend to thrive in moments of crises because they provide simple answers that assist individuals in coping with threats, making the world more understandable. The COVID-19 pandemic is such a crisis and is boosted by the political turmoil related to politicization of the pandemic in some countries. To assess the role of political partisanship, conspiracy beliefs, and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in our two criterion variables (support for COVID-19 prevention measures and compliance with social distancing), we applied an online questionnaire to 662 participants. We have used regression analyses to examine the data collected. Our results indicate that political partisanship predicts conspiracy theories involving personal wellbeing (PW) and control of information (CI) but not government malfeasance (GM) ones. Political partisanship predicted support to COVID-19 prevention measures while intolerance of uncertainty predicted past compliance with social distancing. Beliefs in GM theories predicted support to COVID-19 prevention measures and non-compliance with social distancing while beliefs in PW and CI only predicted non-compliance with social distancing. Belief in GM, PW, and CI theories moderated the effect of political partisanship on support to COVID-19 prevention measures whereas belief in GM and PW theories moderated the effect of IU on past non-compliance with social distancing. Overall, our results suggest the relevance of diminishing political polarization around the virus, providing basic scientific knowledge to the general population to make it easier to identify fake data and conspiracy theories, and offering psychological support focused on dealing with uncertainty to assist in increasing endorsement of and compliance with prevention measures.

scholarly journals Violating social distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychological factors to improve compliance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jéssica Esther Machado Farias ◽  
Ronaldo Pilati
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Transfer Programs ◽  
Political Partisanship ◽  
Improve Compliance ◽  
Need For Support

Social distancing is one of the most effective measures to prevent coronavirus from rapidly spreading. Our analysis investigates the role of some variables (political partisanship, income, professional status, social norms, and intolerance of uncertainty) in intentions of not complying with social distancing measures, which can lead to higher infection rates and to compromising the capacity of health systems worldwide. We applied an online questionnaire to 2,056 Brazilian participants. Our findings indicate that individuals that support right-wing parties, have lower wages, are currently unemployed, and have a higher intolerance of uncertainty tendency are more prone to violating social distancing measures. Social norms also play a significant role on the intentions but only when using ingroup members (family and friends) as referents. On the basis of our findings, we discuss the need for support from relevant political figures to social distancing policies. We also indicate that providing psychological support and cash transfer programs may increase compliance with physical distancing. Plus, our results indicate that initiatives to persuade individuals to stay at home would be more effective if they focus on ingroup members.

scholarly journals Belief in COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Reduces Social Distancing over Time

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Bierwiaczonek ◽  
Jonas R. Kunst ◽  
Olivia Pich
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Longitudinal Survey Data ◽  
Distance Methods ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Over Time

Background Conspiracy theories about the origins of COVID-19 are wide-spread and have even been propagated by highly ranked state officials and politicians in the U.S. Health authorities have cautioned that such theories, although not questioning the existence of the pandemic, may increase the spread of the virus by reducing people’s efforts to socially distance. Methods We test this proposition empirically using longitudinal survey data collected at five time points during the early outbreak of the virus in the U.S. (N = 403). ResultsMultivariate growth curve analyses showed that, although conspiracy beliefs decreased and social distancing increased over time, people holding more conspiracy beliefs at the beginning of the pandemic showed the lowest increase in social distancing. Moreover, cross-lagged analyses demonstrated that people who reported more conspiracy beliefs at any wave tended to report less social distancing at the following wave. ConclusionsOur findings show that COVID-19 conspiracy theories pose a significant threat to public health as they may reduce adherence to social distancing measures.Keywords Conspiracy theories, COVID-19, social distancing, longitudinal

The Burden of Being Certain: National Identity Certainty Predicts Support for COVID-Related Draconian Measures and Outgroup Conspiracy Beliefs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiyuan Chen ◽  
Jinghui Zhang ◽  
Xiang Ao ◽  
Jeffrey Ramdass
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total N ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced various controversies. Some people debate about the usage of “draconian” measures of social distancing (e.g., lockdown). Others concern the origin of the pandemic with some buying conspiracy theories that attribute the cause of COVID-19 to the plot of some powerful outgroups. The current research examined national identity certainty (i.e., the certainty people placed in national identity) as predictor of these beliefs and attitudes. Two studies (total N = 625), one longitudinal and one cross-sectional, revealed that individual differences in national identity certainty predicted increased support of draconian measures and increased outgroup conspiracy beliefs. Moreover, realistic (but not symbolic) threat accounted for the increased support for draconian measures. Symbolic (but not realistic) threat accounted for the increased outgroup conspiracy beliefs. Our findings highlight how national identity certainty constrains individuals’ beliefs and attitudes towards issues related to the pandemic.

scholarly journals Conspiracy Theories in the Classroom: Problems and Potential Solutions

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 494
Author(s):  
Asbjørn Dyrendal ◽  
Daniel Jolley
Keyword(s):  
School Setting ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Analytical Skills ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Contradictory Evidence ◽  
General Topic

Conspiracy narratives and speculative rumors of a conspiracist nature are intermittently popular in youth culture, as well as in political discourse. The general motivations of conspiracy beliefs relate to essential needs (for knowledge, to feel safe and secure, to feel good about oneself and one’s group), but evidence shows these needs are not actually served by conspiracy beliefs. Conspiracy theories tend to be explanations that conflict with best academic knowledge, and belief in them leads to less support for democratic processes and institutions. They play a role in political polarization, and they are used in identity-protective cognition. They may both express and arouse “strong feelings and divide communities and society”. Conspiracy theories as a general topic thus satisfy general criteria for controversial issues. At the same time, they are particularly interesting because they hover between the superficially and the inherently controversial: although in practice often resistant to contradictory evidence, they generally appeal to reason and evidence. While they sometimes are rooted in deep religious and religion-like beliefs, we argue that this makes them good cases for practicing analytical skills that could better serve all the needs above. Since cases and topics can cover the gamut from the subject-related to the cross-curricular and civic behavior, and the skills should be broadly transferable, using conspiracy theories as a topic has a high possible upside. However, conspiracy theories in a school setting have not yet been a topic of much research. This article takes as its starting point interviews with teachers and preliminary investigations of adolescents, before presenting an outline of possible didactic tools for teachers based on the general findings of effective interventions on conspiracy beliefs and related issues.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Conspiracies, Trust in Authorities, and Duty to Comply with Social Distancing Restrictions

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Murphy ◽  
Molly McCarthy ◽  
Elise Sargeant ◽  
Harley Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Civil Disobedience ◽  
Conspiracy Theory ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractIn 2020 governments worldwide implemented various laws and social distancing restrictions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, conspiracy theories emerged purporting that authorities were using the COVID-19 pandemic to permanently control or harm citizens. These conspiracies undermined government responses to the pandemic and in some cases elicited civil disobedience. Using survey data from 779 Australians collected eight months into the pandemic, we examined the relationship between conspiracy beliefs, trust in the government, and duty to comply with authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examined whether trust in government moderated the association between conspiracy beliefs and duty to comply. We found that those prone to conspiracy theory beliefs and who distrusted government were less likely to comply with authorities during the pandemic. We also found that trust in the government moderated the negative relationship between conspiracy beliefs and duty to comply; high trust served as a protective factor against conspiracy beliefs. Importantly, we found that how government actions were experienced and perceived during the pandemic were important correlates of Australians’ level of trust in the government. Our findings point to the importance of governments maintaining high trust in their efficacy and approach during a crisis.

Empowerment as a Tool to Reduce Belief in Conspiracy Theories

2018 ◽  
pp. 432-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Willem van Prooijen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
The Public ◽  
Decision Outcomes ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Conspiracy theories can be harmful for public health, global warming, safety, conflict, and political polarization. What interventions help reduce the appeal of conspiracy theories? It is well-known that conspiracy theories flourish among citizens who feel powerless and out of control, however I argue that the opposite is also true: that feeling empowered and in control of one’s social environment reduces belief in conspiracy theories. Given this, authorities can reduce conspiracy beliefs among the public by installing procedural justice principles in decision-making processes. Procedural justice increases feelings of empowerment and trust, even among followers who disagree with the decision outcomes.

scholarly journals The role of conspiracy beliefs for COVID-19 prevention: A meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Bierwiaczonek ◽  
Jonas R. Kunst ◽  
Aleksander B. Gundersen
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Chloroquine Treatment ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
High Effort ◽  
Over Time

While conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are proliferating, their impact on health-related responses during the present pandemic is not yet fully understood. We meta-analyzed correlational and longitudinal evidence from 53 studies (N = 78,625) conducted in 2020 and 2021, demonstrating under what conditions COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs influence prevention responses. Conspiracy beliefs were associated with reluctance toward prevention measures both cross-sectionally and over time. They primarily reduced high-effort and pervasive responses (vaccination, social distancing), whereas low-effort responses (wearing masks, hygiene) seemed unaffected. Alarmingly, conspiracy beliefs had an increasing effect on prevention responses as the pandemic progressed and predicted support for alternative treatments that lack a scientific basis (e.g., chloroquine treatment, complementary medicine). Conspiracy beliefs are a non-negligeable and growing threat to public health.

»Sometimes you just have to go in « – The link between conspiracy beliefs and political action

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Lamberty ◽  
David Leiser
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Violent Action ◽  
One Year

Even though conspiracy theories often address political issues, the question of how conspiracy beliefs affect people's political action has not been satisfyingly answered. We show how conspiracy beliefs are linked to political action. Study 1 (N = 203) shows that conspiracy beliefs were linked to violence. Study 2 (N = 268) supported the notion that conspiracy beliefs were linked to weaker support for normative actions and stronger support of violent action. In Study 3 (N = 180), we explored experimentally whether conspiracy beliefs increase violent action. The longitudinal Study 4 (N T1 = 523, N T2 = 274, N T3 = 199) showed over a timespan of one year that conspiracy beliefs increased non-normative political action.

scholarly journals Research Progress of Desertification and Its Prevention in Mongolia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6861
Author(s):  
Xiya Liang ◽  
Pengfei Li ◽  
Juanle Wang ◽  
Faith Ka Shun Chan ◽  
Chuluun Togtokh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Model Development ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
The World ◽  
Impacting Factors ◽  
Decoupling Analysis ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

Mongolia is a globally crucial region that has been suffering from land desertification. However, current understanding on Mongolia’s desertification is limited, constraining the desertification control and sustainable development in Mongolia and even other parts of the world. This paper studied spatiotemporal patterns, driving factors, mitigation strategies, and research methods of desertification in Mongolia through an extensive review of literature. Results showed that: (i) remote sensing monitoring of desertification in Mongolia has been subject to a relatively low spatial resolution and considerable time delay, and thus high-resolution and timely data are needed to perform a more precise and timely study; (ii) the contribution of desertification impacting factors has not been quantitatively assessed, and a decoupling analysis is desirable to quantify the contribution of factors in different regions of Mongolia; (iii) existing desertification prevention measures should be strengthened in the future. In particular, the relationship between grassland changes and husbandry development needs to be considered during the development of desertification prevention measures; (iv) the multi-method study (particularly interdisciplinary approaches) and desertification model development should be enhanced to facilitate an in-depth desertification research in Mongolia. This study provides a useful reference for desertification research and control in Mongolia and other regions of the world.

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