Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study
Introduction: Cognitive dissonance and selective exposure could explain how conspiracism could be adopted as a coping strategy in order to overcome salient threats. The expected psychopathological correlates could be investigated by empirical evidence. Methods: A longitudinal observation of partici...
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Edizioni FS
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Health and Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://journalhss.com/wp-content/uploads/Tarchi-et-al-JHSS-September-2023_175_194.pdf |
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| author | Livio TARCHI Francesco CHIRICO Eleonora ROSSI Emanuele CASSIOLI Kavita BATRA Pietro CRESCENZO Amelia RIZZO Giovanni CASTELLINI Valdo RICCA |
| author_facet | Livio TARCHI Francesco CHIRICO Eleonora ROSSI Emanuele CASSIOLI Kavita BATRA Pietro CRESCENZO Amelia RIZZO Giovanni CASTELLINI Valdo RICCA |
| author_sort | Livio TARCHI |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Cognitive dissonance and selective exposure could explain how conspiracism could be adopted as a coping strategy in order to overcome salient threats. The expected psychopathological correlates could be investigated by empirical evidence.
Methods: A longitudinal observation of participants recruited from the Italian general population was performed. A total of 606 observations were collected. At T0, 336 individuals were recruited (from April to June 2020) and pseudo-anonymized, 270 retained at T1 (from October to December 2020). Subjects were evaluated by psychometric valid tools, such as Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI), and Impact of Event Scale (IES). The variables of interest included age, gender, education, occupation, relationship status, life-time infection status, belief in conspiracy theories, adherence to lockdown measures, and vaccine hesitancy. Group differences at baseline were assessed by Mann-Whitney U test and Hedges’ g for effect size. Differences in frequency for bivariate analysis was conducted by Fisher’s exact test and Odds Ratios (OR) were also reported. Linear mixed models were used in order to estimate longitudinal trajectories.
Results: At baseline, individuals with a belief in conspiracy theories reported higher Somatization concerns in comparison to the rest of the sample (Hedges’ g -0.424, p 0.023). In turn, those expressing vaccine hesitancy reported higher Obsession-Compulsion in comparison to the rest of the sample (g -0.341, p 0.025). Conspiracism was also associated with higher odds of having previously contracted COVID-19 (OR 1.96, p 0.013), vaccine hesitancy (OR 4.35, p <0.001), lower adherence to social distancing behaviors (g -0.154, p 0.006), worry about the economic consequences of the pandemic (g -0.235, p 0.001). Longitudinal psychopathology was moderated both by vaccine hesitancy (for COVID-specific distress, minimum beta 0.303, maximum p 0.048), and conspiracism (Paranoid Ideation, beta 0.309, p 0.021).
Discussion: Belief in conspiracy theories was associated with individual, social, and psychological dimensions. In particular, with a previous infection by COVID-19 and a worry about economic consequences of social distancing measures. In turn, this belief was also associated with vaccine hesitancy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-77a00eb822ba4e48918390d7e8f53491 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2499-2240 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Edizioni FS |
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| series | Journal of Health and Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-77a00eb822ba4e48918390d7e8f534912025-01-18T18:20:29ZengEdizioni FSJournal of Health and Social Sciences2499-22402023-09-018317519410.19204/2023/CNSP2Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study Livio TARCHIFrancesco CHIRICOEleonora ROSSIEmanuele CASSIOLIKavita BATRAPietro CRESCENZOAmelia RIZZOGiovanni CASTELLINIValdo RICCAIntroduction: Cognitive dissonance and selective exposure could explain how conspiracism could be adopted as a coping strategy in order to overcome salient threats. The expected psychopathological correlates could be investigated by empirical evidence. Methods: A longitudinal observation of participants recruited from the Italian general population was performed. A total of 606 observations were collected. At T0, 336 individuals were recruited (from April to June 2020) and pseudo-anonymized, 270 retained at T1 (from October to December 2020). Subjects were evaluated by psychometric valid tools, such as Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI), and Impact of Event Scale (IES). The variables of interest included age, gender, education, occupation, relationship status, life-time infection status, belief in conspiracy theories, adherence to lockdown measures, and vaccine hesitancy. Group differences at baseline were assessed by Mann-Whitney U test and Hedges’ g for effect size. Differences in frequency for bivariate analysis was conducted by Fisher’s exact test and Odds Ratios (OR) were also reported. Linear mixed models were used in order to estimate longitudinal trajectories. Results: At baseline, individuals with a belief in conspiracy theories reported higher Somatization concerns in comparison to the rest of the sample (Hedges’ g -0.424, p 0.023). In turn, those expressing vaccine hesitancy reported higher Obsession-Compulsion in comparison to the rest of the sample (g -0.341, p 0.025). Conspiracism was also associated with higher odds of having previously contracted COVID-19 (OR 1.96, p 0.013), vaccine hesitancy (OR 4.35, p <0.001), lower adherence to social distancing behaviors (g -0.154, p 0.006), worry about the economic consequences of the pandemic (g -0.235, p 0.001). Longitudinal psychopathology was moderated both by vaccine hesitancy (for COVID-specific distress, minimum beta 0.303, maximum p 0.048), and conspiracism (Paranoid Ideation, beta 0.309, p 0.021). Discussion: Belief in conspiracy theories was associated with individual, social, and psychological dimensions. In particular, with a previous infection by COVID-19 and a worry about economic consequences of social distancing measures. In turn, this belief was also associated with vaccine hesitancy.https://journalhss.com/wp-content/uploads/Tarchi-et-al-JHSS-September-2023_175_194.pdfconspiracismcovid-19cognitive dissonanceselective exposuredefense strategiescoping mechanisms |
| spellingShingle | Livio TARCHI Francesco CHIRICO Eleonora ROSSI Emanuele CASSIOLI Kavita BATRA Pietro CRESCENZO Amelia RIZZO Giovanni CASTELLINI Valdo RICCA Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study Journal of Health and Social Sciences conspiracism covid-19 cognitive dissonance selective exposure defense strategies coping mechanisms |
| title | Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study |
| title_full | Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study |
| title_fullStr | Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study |
| title_short | Conspiracy theories and COVID-19: Coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance? A longitudinal study |
| title_sort | conspiracy theories and covid 19 coping mechanism or cognitive dissonance a longitudinal study |
| topic | conspiracism covid-19 cognitive dissonance selective exposure defense strategies coping mechanisms |
| url | https://journalhss.com/wp-content/uploads/Tarchi-et-al-JHSS-September-2023_175_194.pdf |
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