1
|
Bierwiaczonek K, Fluit S, von Soest T, Hornsey MJ, Kunst JR. Loneliness trajectories over three decades are associated with conspiracist worldviews in midlife. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3629. [PMID: 38684667 PMCID: PMC11059163 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47113-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In the age of misinformation, conspiracy theories can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and society. Social and emotional experiences throughout the life course, such as loneliness, may be associated with a tendency to hold conspiracist worldviews. Here, we present results from a population-based sample of Norwegians followed for almost three decades, from adolescence into midlife (N = 2215). We examine participants' life trajectories of loneliness using latent growth curve modeling. We show that people reporting high levels of loneliness in adolescence, and those who experience increasing loneliness over the life course, are more likely to endorse conspiracy worldviews in midlife.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sam Fluit
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tilmann von Soest
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Jonas R Kunst
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Freilich CD, McGue M, South SC, Roisman GI, Krueger RF. Connecting loneliness with pathological personality traits: Evidence for genetic and environmental mediation from a study of older twins. Personal Disord 2024; 15:34-45. [PMID: 37498698 PMCID: PMC11166192 DOI: 10.1037/per0000635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Loneliness has broad public health importance, especially in older adulthood, and there is some evidence suggesting it is associated with several personality disorders (PDs). The etiology of these PD-loneliness associations, however, has rarely been studied, especially in the context of the maladaptive traits of the DSM-5 alternative model of personality disorder (AMPD). To address these limitations, we estimated phenotypic, genetic, and unique environmental associations between loneliness and maladaptive personality traits in a sample of older adults from the Minnesota Twin Registry (n = 1,356, Mage = 70.4). Loneliness was moderately to strongly associated with each of the AMPD domains of negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism (r = .22-.58), with evidence of both genetic (rg = .45-.75) and unique environmental (re = .10-.48) influences explaining the associations to varying degrees. We argue that loneliness may be an underappreciated concomitant of personality pathology, with PD traits perhaps underlying its development. Indeed, these findings suggest that loneliness may be a manifestation of the genetic and environmental forces that also lead to pathological personality variation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Matt McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
| | - Susan C South
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Denecke S, Schlier B, Kingston JL, Ellett L, So SH, Gaudiano BA, Morris EMJ, Lincoln TM. Differentiating paranoia and conspiracy mentality using a network approach. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22732. [PMID: 38123615 PMCID: PMC10733314 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47923-x] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Although mostly considered distinct, conspiracy mentality and paranoia share conceptual similarities (e.g., persecutory content, resistance to disconfirming evidence). Using self-report data from a large and multinational online sample (N = 2510; from the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Germany, and Australia), we examined whether paranoia and conspiracy mentality represent distinct latent constructs in exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Utilising network analysis, we then explored common and unique correlates of paranoia and conspiracy mentality while accounting for their shared variance. Across sites, paranoia and conspiracy mentality presented distinct, yet weakly correlated (r = 0.26), constructs. Both were associated with past traumatic experiences, holding negative beliefs about the self and other people, sleep problems, and a tendency to worry. However, paranoia was related to increased negative affect (i.e., anxiety) and decreased social support, whereas the opposite pattern was observed for conspiracy mentality (i.e., decreased anxiety and depression, increased social support). Paranoia and conspiracy mentality are related but not the same constructs. Their similar and distinct correlates point to common and unique risk factors and underlying mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Denecke
- Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Björn Schlier
- Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Germany
| | | | - Lyn Ellett
- University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Suzanne H So
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | | | - Eric M J Morris
- La Trobe University and Northern Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tania M Lincoln
- Universität Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Koller WN, Thompson H, Cannon TD. Conspiracy mentality, subclinical paranoia, and political conservatism are associated with perceived status threat. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293930. [PMID: 37992025 PMCID: PMC10664880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Status threat (i.e., concern that one's dominant social group will be undermined by outsiders) is a significant factor in current United States politics. While demographic factors such as race (e.g., Whiteness) and political affiliation (e.g., conservatism) tend to be associated with heightened levels of status threat, its psychological facets have yet to be fully characterized. Informed by a "paranoid" model of American politics, we explored a suite of possible psychological and demographic associates of perceived status threat, including race/ethnicity, political conservatism, analytic thinking, magical ideation, subclinical paranoia, and conspiracy mentality. In a small, quota sample drawn from the United States (N = 300), we found that conspiracy mentality, subclinical paranoia, conservatism, and age were each positively (and uniquely) associated with status threat. In addition to replicating past work linking conservatism to status threat, this study identifies subclinical paranoia and conspiracy mentality as novel psychological associates of status threat. These findings pave the way for future research regarding how and why status threat concerns may become exaggerated in certain individuals, possibly to the detriment of personal and societal wellbeing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William N. Koller
- Department of Psychology, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Honor Thompson
- Department of Psychology, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Tyrone D. Cannon
- Department of Psychology, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Stojanov A, Hannawa A. Validating a German Version of the Conspiracy Mentality Scale (CMS). J Pers Assess 2023; 105:691-701. [PMID: 36507630 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2022.2149408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Increased scientific interest in conspiracy beliefs raises the need for validated individual difference measures in the general tendency to believe in conspiracy theories, otherwise referred to as conspiracy mentality. In this article, we present a German language version of the Conspiracy Mentality Scale (CMS). A representative sample of German-speaking Swiss residents (N = 468) filled in the scale, along with measures of trust in several sources of information, need for social validation, compliance with Covid-19 preventive measures, perceived severity of the pandemic, loneliness, functional literacy and interpersonal conflict. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-dimensional structure of the original scale. Positive correlations between conspiracy theory ideation and trust in friends and the need for social validation on the one hand, and negative correlations with trust in scientific publications and scientific experts, perceived severity of the pandemic and functional literacy on the other hand supported construct validity. We conclude that our German language version of the scale is a valid measure of conspiracy theory ideation and skepticism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Stojanov
- Higher Education Development Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Annegret Hannawa
- Faculty of Communication, Culture & Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Suthaharan P, Corlett PR. Assumed shared belief about conspiracy theories in social networks protects paranoid individuals against distress. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6084. [PMID: 37055504 PMCID: PMC10100615 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33305-w] [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: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Paranoia is the belief that others intend you harm. It is related to conspiracy theories, wherein those others represent an organized faction, coordinating the harm against self and others, and violating societal norms. Current psychological studies of paranoid conspiracy theorizing focus either on the individual or their broader social network. Likewise, theories of belief formation and updating often contain individual level processes as well as broader interpersonal and organizational factors. Here we examine paranoia and conspiracy theorizing in terms of individual behavioral predictors (performance on a probabilistic reversal learning task which assays belief updating) as well as social sensing: we ask participants to report the features of their social network, including whether their friends and acquaintances share their paranoid conspiratorial beliefs. We find that people who believe paranoid conspiracy theories expect more volatility during the task. They also assume that members of their social network share their paranoid beliefs. Critically, those participants with larger social networks and greater assumed shared belief tend to harbor their conspiratorial beliefs with less emotional distress and expect less volatility in the task. This is evidence that, like political and religious beliefs, conspiracy theories may flourish under a sacred canopy of belief consensus. These data suggest that friends and acquaintances may serve as sources of credulity and moving between them may sustain conspiracy beliefs when there is detraction. This hybrid individual/social account may shed light on clinical paranoia and persecutory delusion, wherein disability is defined normatively, and social supports are fewer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Suthaharan
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Philip R Corlett
- Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kelley NJ, Hurley-Wallace AL, Warner KL, Hanoch Y. Analytical reasoning reduces internet fraud susceptibility. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
8
|
Hornsey MJ, Bierwiaczonek K, Sassenberg K, Douglas KM. Individual, intergroup and nation-level influences on belief in conspiracy theories. NATURE REVIEWS PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 2:85-97. [PMID: 36467717 PMCID: PMC9685076 DOI: 10.1038/s44159-022-00133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Conspiracy theories are part of mainstream public life, with the potential to undermine governments, promote racism, ignite extremism and threaten public health efforts. Psychological research on conspiracy theories is booming, with more than half of the academic articles on the topic published since 2019. In this Review, we synthesize the literature with an eye to understanding the psychological factors that shape willingness to believe conspiracy theories. We begin at the individual level, examining the cognitive, clinical, motivational, personality and developmental factors that predispose people to believe conspiracy theories. Drawing on insights from social and evolutionary psychology, we then review research examining conspiracy theories as an intergroup phenomenon that reflects and reinforces societal fault lines. Finally, we examine how conspiracy theories are shaped by the economic, political, cultural and socio-historical contexts at the national level. This multilevel approach offers a deep and broad insight into conspiracist thinking that increases understanding of the problem and offers potential solutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Hornsey
- Business School, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland Australia
| | | | - Kai Sassenberg
- Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen School of Science, Tübingen, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Martinez AP, Shevlin M, Valiente C, Hyland P, Bentall RP. Paranoid beliefs and conspiracy mentality are associated with different forms of mistrust: A three-nation study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1023366. [PMID: 36329737 PMCID: PMC9623260 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1023366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Paranoia and conspiracy are terms typically used interchangeably. However, although the underlying content of these types of beliefs might be similar (e.g., seeing others as powerful and threatening), recent research suggests that these constructs differ in important ways. One important feature shared by both constructs is excessive mistrust but this aspect might play different roles in each belief system. In this study we explored the strength of associations of different trust predictors (i.e., trust in institutions, trust in sources of information, perceptual trust, and interpersonal trust) between conspiracy mentality and paranoid beliefs. We tested this association in a large representative multinational sample (United Kingdom n = 2025; Spain n = 1951; and Ireland n = 1041). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model of conspiracy and paranoid beliefs in each nation sample. Path and equality of constraints analysis revealed that paranoia was more strongly associated with perceptual mistrust (bias towards mistrusting unfamiliar faces) whereas conspiracy was more strongly associated with mistrust in political institutions. Although interpersonal mistrust and trust in social sources of information were associated significantly with conspiracy their association with paranoid beliefs was stronger. These findings clarify the role of different trust processes in both belief systems. Limitations of this study are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anton P. Martinez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Shevlin
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Valiente
- Department of Personality Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Philip Hyland
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Ireland
| | - Richard P. Bentall
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Introducing Conspiracy Intuitions to Better Understand Conspiracy Beliefs. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 47:101395. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|
11
|
Greenburgh A, Raihani NJ. Paranoia and conspiracy thinking. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 47:101362. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
12
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Loneliness is a common experience in patients with personality disorders (PDs) that are characterized by impairment in self (identity, self-direction) and interpersonal functioning (empathy, intimacy). Here, we review studies assessing the association of loneliness with PD or PD traits including DSM-5's Alternative Model of PD (AMPD). RECENT FINDINGS The number of loneliness studies varied greatly among different PDs with most studies conducted in borderline PD. Across PDs, loneliness was associated with the severity of psychopathological symptoms and with several AMPD trait domains. Consequently, loneliness may contribute to PD severity and further impair personality functioning. Loneliness and PD share intra- and interpersonal factors (i.e., increased rejection sensitivity, information processing biases, social withdrawal) and common origins in childhood maltreatment that may explain their close association. Future research needs to investigate mechanisms on how loneliness and core characteristics of PD mutually reinforce each other in order to therapeutically address loneliness in PD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias A. Reinhard
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Tabea Nenov-Matt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Frank Padberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital Munich, Nussbaumstr. 7, 80336 Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|