scholarly journals Conspiracy Beliefs and Distrust of Science Predicts Reluctance of Vaccine Uptake of Politically Right-Wing Citizens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Winter ◽  
Benjamin Riordan ◽  
Damian Scarf ◽  
Paul Jose
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Underlying Factor ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs

Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an underlying factor for some individuals in their reluctance to adhere to lockdown policies. In the present study, we surveyed a community sample of 1358 adults just prior to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our results supported that right-wing individuals tended to have higher hesitancy associated with taking the COVID-19 vaccine. However, we demonstrated that this association, in part, can be explained by a corresponding belief in COVID-19 related conspiracies. Further, this association only emerged when associated with a general distrust in science. Our findings indicated that public interventions seeking to increase trust in science may mitigate right-wing endorsement of conspiracy theories and thus lead to a more unified and positive response to public health behaviours such as vaccination.

Locking down behavioural compliance: The role of emotion and emotion regulation in breaches of COVID-19 mitigation measures in Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532110299
Author(s):  
Terise Broodryk ◽  
Kealagh Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
High Knowledge ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Insight Into

Although anxiety and worry can motivate engagement with COVID-19 preventative behaviours, people may cognitively reframe these unpleasant emotions, restoring wellbeing at the cost of public health behaviours. New Zealand young adults ( n = 278) experiencing nationwide COVID-19 lockdown reported their worry, anxiety, reappraisal and lockdown compliance. Despite high knowledge of lockdown policies, 92.5% of participants reported one or more policy breaches ( M  = 2.74, SD = 1.86). Counter to predictions, no relationships were found between anxiety or worry with reappraisal or lockdown breaches. Findings highlight the importance of targeting young adults in promoting lockdown compliance and offer further insight into the role of emotion during a pandemic.

Politics of fear in Brazil: Far-right conspiracy theories on COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabela Kalil ◽  
Sofia Cherto Silveira ◽  
Weslei Pinheiro ◽  
Álex Kalil ◽  
João Vicente Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Individual Freedom ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Permanent Campaign ◽  
Politics Of Fear ◽  
Analysis Of Narratives

In this article, we present an analysis of narratives mobilised by extreme right-wing leader Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, from March to December 2020. Our research indicates that, throughout that year, despite changes in the categories used, fear was continuously mobilised by the Brazilian president connecting an alleged ‘communist conspiracy’ to the coronavirus pandemic by creating narratives around the terms ‘Chinese virus’ and ‘Chinese vaccine’. Mapping these conspiratorial discourses, we hope to better understand (1) how Bolsonaro converts conspiracy theories into official state discourse as well as public policy, and (2) how Bolsonaro and his mediatic representatives weaponise tensions between individual freedom and public healthcare and the scientific community. Taking this scenario into account, we analyse how Bolsonaro uses social fear during the pandemic as part of his permanent campaign in a process resulting in serious risks to both public health and democracy.

scholarly journals Role of Conspiracy Mentality and Paranormal Beliefs in Predicting Conspiracy Beliefs Among Neopagans

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-97
Author(s):  
Asbjørn Dyrendal ◽  
Leif Kennair ◽  
James Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Political Identity ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Single Item ◽  
Political Identification ◽  
Gender And Education ◽  
Paranormal Beliefs ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Conspiracy Thinking

Recent studies on conspiracy thinking has concluded that the strongest predictor of the tendency towards conspiratorial thinking is a one-dimensional construct-conspiracy mentality-that is relatively stable over time and valid across cultures. Lantian et al. (2016) found that a single, elaborate question can work as a measure of conspiracy beliefs. We assess the validity of this question for an untypical, religious group: self-identified Neopagans. We also test some recent findings on the relation between conspiracy thinking and paranormal beliefs, attitudes towards group equality, political identification, age, gender, and education. The general patterns hold up well in our investigation, but there was a clear distinction between conspiracy theories about powerful actors and those about minorities. The single-item measure was the largest predictor of the former kind of conspiracy belief followed by level of paranormal beliefs. Anti-egalitarianism and holding a right-wing political identity were the strongest predictors of conspiracy beliefs about minorities. Education was negatively related to conspiracy beliefs of all kinds.

Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories and Violent Extremism on the Far Right: a Public Health Approach to Counter-Radicalization

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Bradley Byington
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
The Public ◽  
Societal Benefits ◽  
Violent Extremism ◽  
Conspiracy Thinking

Conspiracy theories, and especially antisemitic conspiracy theories, form a core ideological component of right-wing violent extremism in the United States. This article argues that conspiracy narratives and their psychological antecedents are key to understanding the ideological appeal of right-wing extremist formations such as white supremacist and Christian Identity movements, providing insight into the motivations and behaviors of those individual participants who become sufficiently radicalized to carry out terrorist actions. It is further proposed that standard radicalization models can be enhanced for applications specific to right-wing extremism through an understanding of conspiracy thinking (both antisemitic and otherwise), and that this understanding can assist in addressing the motivated roots of the ideologies that sustain this particular type of violent extremism through a public health approach to counter-radicalization that aims to “inoculate” the public against the cognitive tendencies exemplified in antisemitic con- spiracy theories and in conspiracist culture more generally. The proposed approach would complement existing efforts in a unique way, as it would have the potential not only to improve public security, but also to provide further societal benefits by countering other negative tendencies associated with conspiracy belief (for example, decreased intention to vaccinate). This would provide an exceptional cost versus benefit ratio while supporting existing counter-radicalization programs and leaving them intact.

Morality in the echo chamber: The relationship between belief in conspiracy theories, morality and support for COVID-19 public health policies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theofilos Gkinopoulos ◽  
Christian T. Elbaek ◽  
Panagiotis Mitkidis
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs

Beliefs in conspiracy theories are a major problem, especially in the face of a pandemic, as these constitute a significant obstacle to public health policies, like the use of masks and vaccination. Indeed, during the COVID-19 pandemic, several ungrounded explanations regarding the origin of the virus or the effects of vaccinations have been rising, leading to vaccination hesitancy or refusal which poses as a threat to public health. Recent studies have shown that in the core of conspiracy theories lies a moral evaluation component; one that triggers a moral reasoning which reinforces the conspiracy itself. To gain a better understanding of how conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 affect public health containment behaviours and policy support, we analysed comprehensive data from the International Collaboration on the Social & Moral Psychology (ICSMP) of COVID-19, consisting of more than 50.000 participants across 67 countries. We particularly explored the mediating role of two levels of morality: individual and group-based morality. Results show that believing in conspiracy theories reduces adoption of containment health-related behaviors and political support of public health measures and that this relationship is mediated by the two levels of morality. This means that beliefs in conspiracy theories do not simply constitute antecedents of cognitive biases or failures, nor maladaptive behaviors based on personality traits, but are morally infused and should be dealt as such. Based on our findings, we further discuss the psychological, moral, and political implications of endorsement of conspiracy theories in the era of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Conspiracy Beliefs Are Related to the Use of Smartphones behind the Wheel

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7725
Author(s):  
Pedro M. Valero-Mora ◽  
Juan José Zacaréss ◽  
Mar Sánchez-García ◽  
María Teresa Tormo-Lancero ◽  
Mireia Faus
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
To Receive

The belief in conspiracy theories predicts behaviors related to public health such as the willingness to receive vaccines. This study applies a similar approach to an aspect of road safety: the use of smartphones while driving. A representative sample of 1706 subjects answered a series of questions related to what can be regarded as erroneous or conspiracy beliefs against restricting or banning the use of smartphones while driving. The results show that those having such conspiracy beliefs reported a greater use of smartphones behind the wheel.

scholarly journals Does extreme political ideology predict conspiracy beliefs, economic evaluations and political trust? Evidence from Sweden

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Krouwel ◽  
Yordan Kutiyski ◽  
Jan-Willem van Prooijen ◽  
Johan Martinsson ◽  
Elias Markstedt
Keyword(s):  
Political Ideology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
Political Understanding

A large volume of academic research has demonstrated that individuals who profess radical political ideology, both left- and right-wing, tend to share similar underlying psychological patterns. By utilizing data collected through a voting advice application in Sweden, this study aims to assess whether extreme leftists and rightists share similarities in the psychological and political understanding of how society functions. We propose three hypotheses to test this pattern: Extreme left and right individuals are more inclined to believe in conspiracy theories than moderates; they are more likely to have negative economic evaluations; and they are less politically and interpersonally trustful. By means of hierarchical regression analyses, we reveal a quadratic relationship between extreme political ideology and conspiracy beliefs. Moreover, we find a similar linkage between ideology and economic evaluations. However, the empirical analyses fail to provide evidence that extreme ideology is related to lower political and interpersonal trust.

scholarly journals “If they believe, then so shall I”: Perceived beliefs of the in-group predict conspiracy theory belief

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 759-782
Author(s):  
Darel Cookson ◽  
Daniel Jolley ◽  
Robert C. Dempsey ◽  
Rachel Povey
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Conspiracy Theory ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Parent Sample ◽  
Perceived Social Norms ◽  
The Relationship

Conspiracy beliefs are widespread and can have detrimental consequences. As perceived social norms can exert a powerful influence on individuals, we investigated the relationship between perceived conspiracy belief norms and personal endorsement, and whether others’ conspiracy belief is overestimated. In Study 1, UK university students ( N = 111) completed measures of their personal conspiracy beliefs and estimations of others’ beliefs (an in-group and an out-group they chose, and a prescribed in-group). Perceived in-groups’ belief strongly predicted personal conspiracy belief; perceived out-group’s belief did not. Studies 2 and 3 replicated these findings in a British community sample ( N = 177) and in a UK parent sample ( N = 197), focusing on antivaccine conspiracy theories. All studies demonstrated that people overestimate the conspiracy beliefs of others. This is the first demonstration of the association between perceived in-group conspiracy belief social norms and individuals’ personal conspiracy beliefs. Interventions challenging misperceived norms could be effective in reducing conspiracy beliefs.

scholarly journals How populism and conservative media fuel conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 and what it means for COVID-19 behaviors

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205316802199397
Author(s):  
Dominik A. Stecula ◽  
Mark Pickup
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Partisan Polarization ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
American Society ◽  
Conservative Media ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

Research examining attitudes and behaviors of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic has largely focused on partisanship as a lens through which many Americans see the coronavirus. Given the importance of partisan affiliation and the degree of partisan polarization in the American society, that is certainly an important driver of public opinion, and a necessary one to understand. But an overlooked set of predispositions might also shape COVID beliefs and attitudes: populism. It is a worldview that pits average citizens against “the elites” and, importantly in the context of a pandemic, it includes anti-intellectual attitudes such as distrust of experts (including scientists). We find that populism is correlated with conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19, above and beyond partisanship. Furthermore, we find that conservative media consumption tends to be a stronger predictor of conspiracy belief among those high in populism than among those low in populism. We also show that these beliefs have consequences: those who believe the conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are less likely to adapt behaviors recommended by public health officials.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Scientific Facts vs. Conspiracy Theories: Is Science Failing to Pass Its Message?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6343
Author(s):  
Marios Constantinou ◽  
Antonios Kagialis ◽  
Maria Karekla
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Lower Education ◽  
Scientific Facts

Science may be failing to convince a significant number of people about COVID-19 scientific facts and needed public health measures. Individual and social factors are behind believing conspiracy theories. Adults (N = 1001) were asked to rate their beliefs in various conspiracy theories circulating in social media, rate their psychological distress relating to COVID-19, rate their trust in science to solve COVID-19 problems, and rate their willingness to adhere to measures regarding social distancing and quarantine. The findings showed conspiracy theories are widely believed and related to lower age, lower education, living in less densely populated areas, and lower income. Stronger conspiracy theory beliefs predicted science mistrust and unwillingness to adhere to public health measures. Psychological state was a strong predictor of conspiracy beliefs. Recommendations, stemming from the findings, for reducing such beliefs and better serving public health are discussed.

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