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Examining a domain-specific link between perceived control and conspiracy beliefs: a brief report in the context of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Although anecdotal evidence suggests that control-threatening situations are associated with an increase in conspiracy beliefs, existing research does not support this "compensatory control" hypothesis. In the current study, we test a more refined hypothesis: that the link between control threat and conspiracy beliefs is domain specific, such that perceived control in a particular domain should lead to conspiracy beliefs pertaining to that domain only. Moreover, given that conspiracy beliefs are stigmatized (i.e., not socially acceptable), we propose that they should be endorsed only when other compensatory systems are frustrated. We test these ideas in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants from North Macedonia and New Zealand, who differed in perceived government effectiveness, filled in a questionnaire measuring domain-specific and domain-general perceived control, as well as domain-specific and domain-general conspiracy beliefs. As expected, domain specificity of the control threat predicted domain-specific conspiracy beliefs in the Macedonian group only. The results have implication for compensatory control theory, suggesting that the compensatory process may not always be as fluid as believed.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01977-0.

SUBMITTER: Stojanov A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8203308 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Examining a domain-specific link between perceived control and conspiracy beliefs: a brief report in the context of COVID-19.

Stojanov Ana A Halberstadt Jamin J Bering Jesse M JM Kenig Nikolina N

Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) 20210615 8

Although anecdotal evidence suggests that control-threatening situations are associated with an increase in conspiracy beliefs, existing research does not support this "compensatory control" hypothesis. In the current study, we test a more refined hypothesis: that the link between control threat and conspiracy beliefs is <i>domain specific</i>, such that perceived control in a particular domain should lead to conspiracy beliefs pertaining to that domain only. Moreover, given that conspiracy beli ...[more]

PMID: 34149266

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Project description:BackgroundRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses a significant respiratory health risk to senior citizens, contributing substantially to hospitalizations and mortality. With the recent approval of three RSV vaccines for the elderly, it is critical to understand the factors that can shape the RSV vaccination attitudes to inform public health strategies that can enhance uptake among this vulnerable population.ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the potential factors that could influence the attitudes toward RSV vaccination among senior citizens in Arab countries.DesignA multinational cross-sectional study, adhering to STROBE guidelines, was conducted using a survey instrument previously validated through exploratory factor analysis to assess attitudes toward the newly approved RSV vaccine.MethodsA self-administered online survey was distributed conveniently among senior citizens mainly across five Arab countries. The survey collected data on demographics, vaccination history, and key constructs related to RSV vaccine attitude, including "Fear," "Information," "Accessibility," "Benefits," and "Conspiracy."ResultsA total of 483 participants were included in the study, with the majority from five Arab countries: Jordan (n = 239, 49.5%), Kuwait (n = 74, 15.3%), Egypt (n = 68, 14.1%), Saudi Arabia (n = 51, 10.6%), and the UAE (n = 23, 4.8%), alongside participants from other Arab nations (n = 28, 5.8%). Among the respondents, 51.1% (n = 247) expressed acceptance of the RSV vaccine, 22.4% (n = 108) were hesitant, and 26.5% (n = 128) exhibited refusal. Multivariate analysis identified perceived benefits (β = 0.484, p < 0.001), information needs (β = 0.229, p < 0.001), and previous vaccination history (β = 0.087, p = 0.016) as significant positive predictors of vaccine acceptance. Conversely, stronger conspiracy beliefs (β = -0.083, p = 0.035) were associated with vaccine resistance. Fear and accessibility were not significant predictors of vaccine attitudes.ConclusionThe findings showed that perceived benefits, access to reliable information, previous vaccination history, and conspiracy beliefs are essential to promote RSV vaccine acceptance among Arab seniors. These factors are recommended to improve RSV vaccine uptake in this vulnerable population.

Dataset Information

Examining a domain-specific link between perceived control and conspiracy beliefs: a brief report in the context of COVID-19.

Supplementary information

Publications

Examining a domain-specific link between perceived control and conspiracy beliefs: a brief report in the context of COVID-19.

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