ArticlePloS one2022
Conspiracy endorsement and its associations with personality functioning, anxiety, loneliness, and sociodemographic characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic in a representative sample of the German population.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The Association of Social Support and Loneliness with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Pooled it
- Perceived Social Isolation and Conspiracy Mentality: Exploring Pathways to Anti-LGBTQ+ Conspiracy Beliefs.Scandinavian journal of psychology · 2026Article
- Owners of a conspiratorial heart? Investigating the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and conspiracy beliefs.The British journal of social psychology · 2025Article
- Populist attitudes and belief in conspiracy theories: anti-elitist attitudes and the preference for unrestricted popular sovereignty reduce the positive impact of an analytical thinking style on conspiracy beliefs.BMC research notes · 2025Article
- How personality functioning relates to psychological distress and behavioral attitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2025Article
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- Loneliness trajectories over three decades are associated with conspiracist worldviews in midlife.Nature communications · 2024Article
- "Trust me, do not trust anyone": how epistemic mistrust and credulity are associated with conspiracy mentality.Research in psychotherapy (Milano) · 2023Article
- Differentiating paranoia and conspiracy mentality using a network approach.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Conspiracy Theories, Trust in Science, and Knowledge during the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Cyprus.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- The role of defense styles and psychopathological symptoms on adherence to conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Individual, intergroup and nation-level influences on belief in conspiracy theories.Nature reviews psychology · 2023Review
- The relationship between fear of COVID-19 infection, fear of COVID-19 vaccination and Big Five personality traits: a mediation model.Current issues in personality psychology · 2023Article
- Moral foundations are better predictors of belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories than the Big Five personality traits.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Are Attitudes towards COVID-19 Pandemic Related to Subjective Physical and Mental Health?International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Approaching differential diagnosis and decisional capacity assessment in the context of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs: A narrative review and clinical discussion.General hospital psychiatryReview
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7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have been found to endorse conspiracy beliefs. Socio-demographic variables, personality functioning, anxiety, and loneliness could be risk factors for this endorsement.
methodsIn a representative sample of the German population (N = 2,503) measures of conspiracy mentality, conspiracy-related beliefs toward COVID-19, personality functioning (OPD-SQS), anxiety (HADS), and loneliness (UCLA) were assessed. Pearson product-moment correlations and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted.
resultsConspiracy mentality and conspiracy-related beliefs toward COVID-19 were strongly correlated. Regression analyses found younger age, male gender, lower education, and lower income to be associated with conspiracy mentality. The subscales relationship model and self-perception of the OPD-SQS were positively related to conspiracy mentality whereas interpersonal contact was negatively associated. Higher levels of anxiety were statistically predictive for conspiracy mentality.
conclusionOur findings indicate a contribution of personality functioning to the understanding of conspiracy mentality and thus to the advancement of interventions during the pandemic.
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