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Recent research has produced a significant body of knowledge about the antecedents and consequences of individual differences in belief in conspiracy theories. What is less clear, however, is the extent to which individuals’ beliefs in conspiracy theories vary over time (i.e., within-person variation). In this descriptive and exploratory study, we therefore aimed to describe within-person variability in belief in conspiracy theories. We collected data from 498 Australians and New Zealanders using an online longitudinal survey, with data collected at monthly intervals over 6 months (March to September 2021). Our measure of conspiracy theories included items describing ten conspiracy theories with responses on a 5-point Likert scale. While there was substantial between-person variance, there was much less within-person variance (intraclass r  = 0.91). This suggests that beliefs in conspiracy theories were highly stable in our sample. This stability implies that longitudinal studies testing hypotheses about the causes and consequences of belief in conspiracy theories may require large samples of participants and time points to achieve adequate power. It also implies that explanations of belief in conspiracy theories need to accommodate the observation that beliefs in such theories vary much more between people than within people.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting, implementing and delivering an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) (ACTion-mTBI) within a multidisciplinary outpatient mTBI rehabilitation services. The study also aimed to conduct a preliminary investigation of group differences between ACTion-mTBI and an equivalent cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) intervention on various outcome measures and psychological treatment targets.DesignA two-arm quasiexperimental feasibility study.SettingFive mTBI rehabilitation clinics throughout New Zealand.InterventionPsychologists working in mTBI rehabilitation clinics throughout New Zealand were trained to deliver ACTion-mTBI or CBT. Eligible participants were assigned to either of these interventions based on the psychologist available at the clinic they were referred to. ACTion-mTBI is a five sessions intervention that incorporates all six components of the ACT model. The CBT intervention is an equivalent intervention and incorporating all four components of the CBT model. Both interventions are adapted for an mTBI context.Primary outcome measuresThe primary outcomes were related to the feasibility of ACTion-mTBI. This included recruitment, retention and treatment adherence of participants, study procedure and fidelity of treatment delivery.Secondary outcome measuresTo explore group differences between ACTion-mTBI and CBT on functional disability, postconcussion symptoms, mental health, valued living and psychological flexibility.ResultsThe intervention proved feasible to implement with community-based mTBI rehabilitation services. Attrition rates were comparable between the two psychological interventions and fidelity to the treatments was high. At post-treatment, when covarying pretreatment scores, ACTion-mTBI had a significantly greater improvement in functional disability than CBT (moderate effect). ACTion-mTBI also had a significantly greater reduction in postconcussion symptoms, anxiety and stress. Promisingly, significant improvements in psychological flexibility was also found post-treatment. There were no group differences on depressive symptoms and valued living.ConclusionWe conclude that a full clinical trial of ACTion-mTBI for individuals with mTBI is feasible and warranted.Trial registration numberACTRN1262100059482.

The effect of environmental temperature on suicide risk is an important issue given the increase in global temperatures expected over the following century. Previous research has produced conflicting findings: Studies concerned with temporal variation in temperature and suicide have tended to find a positive relationship, while those concerned with geographical variation in temperature and suicide have tended to find a negative relationship. In this study, we aimed firstly to estimate the relationship between suicide incidence and three components of variation in temperature: Irregular, seasonal, and geographical. Secondly, we aimed to critically examine what this information can (and cannot) tell us about the likely effects of anthropogenic climate change on suicide rates. Suicide data from New Zealand for the period 1988 to 2007 were collated according to date of death and district and compared with temperature data from the same period. Using generalized linear mixed models, we found that irregular variation in temperature was positively related to suicide incidence, with about 1.8 % more suicides for every 1 °C increase in temperature. On the other hand, seasonal variation in temperature had virtually no linear relationship with suicide incidence, and when controlling for demographic differences, geographical variation in temperature was negatively related to suicide incidence. We conclude that differences in both the sign and the direction of the effects of different forms of variation in temperature mean that it is very difficult to predict how climate change will affect risk of suicide.

A number of previous studies have reported a positive relationship between ambient temperature and the incidence of violent crimes such as assault. This has led some authors to suggest that anthropogenic climate change may result in an increase in violent crime rates. In this study, we report an investigation of the relationship between temperature and assault incidence in New Zealand. Both police data listing recorded assaults as well as data from the Ministry of Health listing hospitalisations due to assault were examined. Geographical, seasonal, and irregular daily variation in temperature were all positively related to the incidence of assault, although only the effect of irregular variation in temperature was robust to controls for plausible confounds. The estimated effect of irregular daily variation in temperature was approximately 1.5 % extra recorded assaults for each 1 °C increase in temperature. It remains difficult, however, to make accurate predictions about future assault rates in a warming world. For example, humans may react to sustained changes in climate in ways that differ markedly from their reaction to short-term variation in temperature. Climate change may also affect rates of violence via mechanisms other than those that currently drive the relationship between temperature and violence. Furthermore, assault rates may continue to change in response to factors unrelated to climate change, such as those responsible for the long-term historical decline in human violence.

Belief in conspiracies is not restricted to the fringe dwellers of society. International research suggests that such beliefs are quite common and that conspiracy theories may serve three basic psychological motives (i.e., epistemic, existential, and relational) for individuals. Yet, little is known about conspiracy theory awareness or belief in Australasia. We report the first large systematic investigation of system-justifying motives using two nationally representative samples of Australians (n = 1011) and New Zealanders (n = 754). Our findings show that almost all are aware of local and international conspiracies, the majority endorse one or more, and that all three psychological motives consistently relate to conspiracy belief, but not to awareness. In a series of hierarchical multiple regressions, we find that relational (i.e., increased anomie and disillusionment with the government) and existential motives (i.e., less trust in others and increased religiosity) are uniquely and relatively more important than epistemic needs (i.e., decreased analytic thinking) as predictors of increased local and international conspiracy belief. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of understanding conspiracy theories as an ideological belief system that may function to serve underlying psychological motives.

Investigates perceptions of the high youth suicide rate in New Zealand among young university students at Massey University, and examines help-seeking behaviour of those students. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

Investigates changes in self-efficacy, resilience, connectedness and wellbeing in students participating in Project K, a positive youth development programme targeting 13-15 year-old students with low self-efficacy involving wilderness adventure, community challenge, and individual mentoring. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

Most researchers and students in psychology learn of S. S. Stevens’ scales or “levels” of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio), and of his rules setting out which statistical analyses are admissible with each measurement level. Many are nevertheless left confused about the basis of these rules, and whether they should be rigidly followed. In this article, I attempt to provide an accessible explanation of the measurement-theoretic concerns that led Stevens to argue that certain types of analyses are inappropriate with data of particular levels of measurement. I explain how these measurement-theoretic concerns are distinct from the statistical assumptions underlying data analyses, which rarely include assumptions about levels of measurement. The level of measurement of observations can nevertheless have important implications for statistical assumptions. I conclude that researchers may find it more useful to critically investigate the plausibility of the statistical assumptions underlying analyses than to limit themselves to the set of analyses that Stevens believed to be admissible with data of a given level of measurement.

In response to recommendations to redefine statistical significance to P ≤ 0.005, we propose that researchers should transparently report and justify all choices they make when designing a study, including the alpha level.