POPULIST ATTITUDES AS A MEDIATOR BETWEEN RELATIVE DEPRIVATION AND CONSPIRACY MENTALITY

• Authors: Loziak Alexander , Piterová Ivana
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Conspiracy theories can present a threat to society. Both conspiracy and populist beliefs describe society as a struggle between powerful elites and common people, where those individuals feeling powerless or deprived are more gullible to such beliefs. This paper explores the relationship between relative deprivation and conspiracy mentality. It argues that the anti-elitism and popular sovereignty that represent populist attitudes mediate this relationship. The present study draws on a nationally representative sample of the Slovak population aged 18 and above (N = 832). The data were collected online through a research agency. The mediation model was tested using the R program. The effects were tested using a sensitivity analysis. The results have shown that feelings of relative deprivation transfer into a stronger conspiracy mentality. Moreover, the effect on conspiracy mentality was found to be partially mediated by populist attitudes and in particular by anti-elitism and populist sovereignty. In this respect, the study presents a more detailed understanding of the beliefs that drive conspiracy mentality.

Keywords

EN

CONSPIRACY MENTALITY; POPULIST ATTITUDES; RELATIVE DEPRIVATION; MEDIATION

• Publisher: Institute of Experimental Psychology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Studia Psychologica
• Year: 2023
• Volume: 65
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 262 - 278

Contributors

author

Loziak Alexander

• Institute of Social Sciences, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Karpatská 5, 04001 Košice, Slovak Republic

• https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2407-0970

author

Piterová Ivana

• https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8966-9277

Identifiers

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31577/sp.2023.03.879