Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
35
result(s) for
"Cichocka, Aleksandra"
Sort by:
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
What psychological factors drive the popularity of conspiracy theories, which explain important events as secret plots by powerful and malevolent groups? What are the psychological consequences of adopting these theories? We review the current research and find that it answers the first of these questions more thoroughly than the second. Belief in conspiracy theories appears to be driven by motives that can be characterized as epistemic (understanding one's environment), existential (being safe and in control of one's environment), and social (maintaining a positive image of the self and the social group). However, little research has investigated the consequences of conspiracy belief, and to date, this research does not indicate that conspiracy belief fulfills people's motivations. Instead, for many people, conspiracy belief may be more appealing than satisfying. Further research is needed to determine for whom, and under what conditions, conspiracy theories may satisfy key psychological motives.
Journal Article
Understanding Conspiracy Theories
Scholarly efforts to understand conspiracy theories have grown significantly in recent years, and there is now a broad and interdisciplinary literature. In reviewing this body of work, we ask three specific questions. First, what factors are associated with conspiracy beliefs? Our review of the literature shows that conspiracy beliefs result from a range of psychological, political, and social factors. Next, how are conspiracy theories communicated? Here, we explain how conspiracy theories are shared among individuals and spread through traditional and social media platforms. Next, what are the societal risks and rewards associated with conspiracy theories? By focusing on politics and science, we argue that conspiracy theories do more harm than good. We conclude by suggesting several promising avenues for future research.
Journal Article
Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. Because the crisis requires large-scale behaviour change and places significant psychological burdens on individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences can be used to help align human behaviour with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts. Here we discuss evidence from a selection of research topics relevant to pandemics, including work on navigating threats, social and cultural influences on behaviour, science communication, moral decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping. In each section, we note the nature and quality of prior research, including uncertainty and unsettled issues. We identify several insights for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months.
Forty-three experts highlight some key insights from the social and behavioural sciences for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and point out important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months.
Journal Article
To counter conspiracy theories, boost well-being
It is better to stop misinformation taking root than to try to weed it out.
It is better to stop misinformation taking root than to try to weed it out.
“Neglecting the mental-health crisis risks perpetuating an information one.”
Journal Article
Gender disparities in social and personality psychology awards from 1968 to 2021
Gender disparities persist in academic psychology. The present study extended previous investigations to social and personality psychology award recipients. We collated publicly available data on award winners ( N = 2700) from 17 international societies from 1968 to 2021. Features of the award, including year given, type of award, seniority level, whether the award was shared with more than one winner, and gender/sex of the recipient were coded. Overall, men were more likely to be recognized with awards than women, but the proportion of awards won by women has increased over time. Despite this increased share of awards, women were more likely to win awards for service and teaching (which are generally viewed as less prestigious) rather than research contributions. These differences were moderated by year - women were more likely to win service or teaching awards, compared to research awards, after 1999 and 2007, respectively. Women were more likely to win awards at postgraduate/early career levels or open to all levels compared to senior awards. Findings suggest that women’s greater representation in academic psychology in recent years has not been accompanied by parity in professional recognition and eminence.
Journal Article
National narcissism in politics and public understanding of science
People seek to belong to groups that they evaluate positively and identify with. A strong ingroup identity is typically thought to bring about positive outcomes for the individuals and for the group. However, when group identity is motivated by frustrated psychological needs, it can manifest as collective narcissism — a belief that one’s group is exceptional and deserves special treatment. Such a defensive ingroup identity is related to a motivated social cognition focused on the enhancement and protection of the ingroup image, even at the expense of ingroup members. In this Review, we consider the implications of differentiating collective narcissism from ingroup identification in the national context, and their different intragroup and intergroup manifestations. We focus on two domains: political attitudes and behaviours as well as the public understanding of science related to health and environmental protection. We outline how concerns for national image enhancement and protection can shape political and social manifestations of national narcissism, such as susceptibility to narratives that enhance the national image, sensitivity to disrespect and suspicion of outgroups, and acceptance of misinformation.Collective narcissism — a belief that one’s group is exceptional and deserves special treatment — arises when group identity is motivated by frustrated psychological needs. In this Review, Cislak and Cichocka describe the implications of collective narcissism in the national context and how such national narcissism explains contemporary social and political phenomena.
Journal Article
Efficacy of the Simeox® Airway Clearance Technology in the Homecare Treatment of Children with Clinically Stable Cystic Fibrosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients require regular airway clearance therapy (ACT). The aim of this study was to evaluate homecare therapeutic effects of a new ACT (Simeox®) added to the optimal standard of care, including home chest physiotherapy, in the treatment of clinically stable children. Methods: Forty pediatric CF patients (8–17 years old) with stable disease were randomized 1:1 in a single-center, prospective, open-label, cross-over trial into two groups: with or without Simeox®. Lung function (impulse oscillometry, spirometry, body plethysmography, multi-breath nitrogen washout) results, health-related quality of life, and safety were assessed during the study after 1 month of therapy at home. Results: A significant decrease in proximal airway obstruction (as supported by improvement in airway resistance at 20 Hz (R20Hz) and maximum expiratory flow at 75% of FVC (MEF75)) compared to the control group was observed after 1 month of therapy with the device. Lung-clearance index was stable in the study group, while it worsened in the control group. In addition, the device group demonstrated a significant increase in the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire—Revised (CFQ-R) physical score. No side effects were identified during the study. Conclusions: Simeox® may improve drainage of the airways in children with clinically stable CF and could be an option in chronic treatment of the disease.
Journal Article
On the Grammar of Politics-or Why Conservatives Prefer Nouns
Previous research indicates that political conservatism is associated with epistemic needs for structure and certainty (Jost et al., 2003) and that nouns elicit clearer and more definite perceptions of reality than other parts of speech (Carnaghi et al., 2008). We therefore hypothesized that conservatives would exhibit preferences for nouns (vs. verbs and adjectives), insofar as nouns are better suited to satisfy epistemic needs. In Study 1, we observed that social conservatism was associated with noun preferences in Polish and that personal need for structure accounted for the association between ideology and grammatical preferences. In Study 2, conducted in Arabic, social conservatism was associated with a preference for the use of nominal sentences (composed of nouns only) over verbal sentences (which included verbs and adjectives). In Study 3, we found that more conservative U.S. presidents used greater proportions of nouns in major speeches, and this effect was related to integrative complexity. We discuss the possibility that conservative ideology is linked to grammatical preferences that foster feelings of stability and predictability.
Journal Article
Conspiracy mentality and political orientation across 26 countries
People differ in their general tendency to endorse conspiracy theories (that is, conspiracy mentality). Previous research yielded inconsistent findings on the relationship between conspiracy mentality and political orientation, showing a greater conspiracy mentality either among the political right (a linear relation) or amongst both the left and right extremes (a curvilinear relation). We revisited this relationship across two studies spanning 26 countries (combined N = 104,253) and found overall evidence for both linear and quadratic relations, albeit small and heterogeneous across countries. We also observed stronger support for conspiracy mentality among voters of opposition parties (that is, those deprived of political control). Nonetheless, the quadratic effect of political orientation remained significant when adjusting for political control deprivation. We conclude that conspiracy mentality is associated with extreme left- and especially extreme right-wing beliefs, and that this non-linear relation may be strengthened by, but is not reducible to, deprivation of political control.Across 26 countries, Imhoff et al. find that conspiracy mentality is more prevalent at both ends of the political spectrum than the centre. This U-shaped pattern is accentuated for supporters of political parties not in government, particularly on the political right.
Journal Article