From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs
: A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19
Pandemic

J 2023

From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs : A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19 Pandemic

KOVÁŘ, Dominik, Miroslav FILIP and Marie KOVÁŘOVÁ

Basic information

Original name

From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs : A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors

KOVÁŘ, Dominik, Miroslav FILIP and Marie KOVÁŘOVÁ

Edition

Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Philadelphia, Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis, 2023, 1072-0537

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

50101 Psychology

Country of publisher

United States of America

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 0.900 in 2022

Organization unit

Faculty of Social Studies

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2023.2294323

UT WoS

001132149200001

Keywords in English

Conspiracy beliefs; COVID-19; distrust; hostility; distress

Abstract

V originále

Conspiracy beliefs (CBs) occured on a large scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has identified numerous factors associated with CBs at both the individual level (e.g., cognitive bias, distress) and the social level (e.g., distrust). However, emphasizing either individual or social factors leads to incompatible accounts of CBs. Based on the framework of personal construct psychology, we propose an integrative account of CBs. A precursor of CBs is a distressing situation (e.g., the pandemic) that invalidates individuals’ construct systems. If a person prevents his or her construct system from being invalidated in a hostile way (i.e., extorts its validity), he or she becomes more skeptical and suspicious. At the social level, these processes are intensified by a decrease in sociality, which is associated with distrust and leads to the elaboration of CBs. Using a mixed-design approach, we conducted a study involving a sample of 23 participants who endorsed CBs to varying degrees. We found that participants with elaborated CBs experienced distress at the onset of the pandemic. They also exhibited the strategy of hostility and developed distrustful relationships with people who expressed opposing opinions about the pandemic. The results indicate that hostility could be the key process underlying CBs.

Citovat

KOVÁŘ, Dominik, Miroslav FILIP and Marie KOVÁŘOVÁ. From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs : A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Constructivist Psychology. Philadelphia: Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis, 2023, neuveden, neuveden, p. 1-23. ISSN 1072-0537. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2023.2294323.

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   author = {Kovář, Dominik and Filip, Miroslav and Kovářová, Marie},
   article_location = {Philadelphia},
   article_number = {neuveden},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2023.2294323},
   keywords = {Conspiracy beliefs; COVID-19; distrust; hostility; distress},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {1072-0537},
   journal = {Journal of Constructivist Psychology},
   title = {From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs : A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19 Pandemic},
   url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10720537.2023.2294323},
   volume = {neuveden},
   year = {2023}
}

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PY  - 2023
TI  - From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs : A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19 Pandemic
JF  - Journal of Constructivist Psychology
VL  - neuveden
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SP  - 1-23
EP  - 1-23
PB  - Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis
SN  - 10720537
KW  - Conspiracy beliefs
KW  - COVID-19
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UR  - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10720537.2023.2294323
N2  - Conspiracy beliefs (CBs) occured on a large scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has identified numerous factors associated with CBs at both the individual level (e.g., cognitive bias, distress) and the social level (e.g., distrust). However, emphasizing either individual or social factors leads to incompatible accounts of CBs. Based on the framework of personal construct psychology, we propose an integrative account of CBs. A precursor of CBs is a distressing situation (e.g., the pandemic) that invalidates individuals’ construct systems. If a person prevents his or her construct system from being invalidated in a hostile way (i.e., extorts its validity), he or she becomes more skeptical and suspicious. At the social level, these processes are intensified by a decrease in sociality, which is associated with distrust and leads to the elaboration of CBs. Using a mixed-design approach, we conducted a study involving a sample of 23 participants who endorsed CBs to varying degrees. We found that participants with elaborated CBs experienced distress at the onset of the pandemic. They also exhibited the strategy of hostility and developed distrustful relationships with people who expressed opposing opinions about the pandemic. The results indicate that hostility could be the key process underlying CBs.
ER  -

KOVÁŘ, Dominik, Miroslav FILIP and Marie KOVÁŘOVÁ. From Psychological Distress and Distrust to Conspiracy Beliefs : A Constructivist Study of Negative Phenomena of the COVID-19 Pandemic. \textit{Journal of Constructivist Psychology}. Philadelphia: Routledge Journals, Taylor \&{} Francis, 2023, neuveden, neuveden, p.~1-23. ISSN~1072-0537. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2023.2294323.

Detailed Information on Publication Record