‘They will not control us’: Ingroup positivity and belief in intergroup conspiracies |
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| Authors: | Aleksandra Cichocka Marta Marchlewska Agnieszka Golec de Zavala Mateusz Olechowski |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK;2. Institute for Social Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland;3. Department of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Poznań, Poland;4. ISCTE‐IUL/CIS‐IUL, Lisbon, Portugal;5. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK;6. Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Poland |
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| Abstract: | This research examined the role of different forms of positive regard for the ingroup in predicting beliefs in intergroup conspiracies. Collective narcissism reflects a belief in ingroup greatness contingent on others’ recognition. We hypothesized that collective narcissism should be especially likely to foster outgroup conspiracy beliefs. Non‐narcissistic ingroup positivity, on the other hand, should predict a weaker tendency to believe in conspiracy theories. In Study 1, the endorsement of conspiratorial explanations of outgroup actions was positively predicted by collective narcissism but negatively by non‐narcissistic ingroup positivity. Study 2 showed that the opposite effects of collective narcissism and non‐narcissistic ingroup positivity on conspiracy beliefs were mediated via differential perceptions of threat. Study 3 manipulated whether conspiracy theories implicated ingroup or outgroup members. Collective narcissism predicted belief in outgroup conspiracies but not in ingroup conspiracies, while non‐narcissistic ingroup positivity predicted lower conspiracy beliefs, regardless of them being ascribed to the ingroup or the outgroup. |
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| Keywords: | conspiracy beliefs collective narcissism ingroup identification threat |
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