Europe’s Journal of Psychology

Conspiracy Mentality: How it Relates to Populism, Relative Deprivation, Mistrust of Expertise and Voting Behaviour

2024-02-29T01:06:31-08:00

Background and research aims. Considering the high prevalence of conspiracy theories and misinformation, there is an urgent need to explain the tendency to adopt a conspiracy mentality and identify behavioural (including voting) outcomes of a high conspiracy mentality. The aims of the present paper are 1) the examination of populist attitudes dimensions, relative deprivation and mistrust of expertise as predictors of conspiracy mentality and 2) proposal of comprehensive models, that combine predictors of conspiracy mentality and its voting consequences. Methodology. Studies utilised OSL regression and structural equation modelling. Results. The overall regression was statistically significant. It was found that dimensions of populist attitudes (anti-elitism, sovereignty), relative deprivation and mistrust of expertise were significant predictors of conspiracy mentality. In line with the second research aim, the fitness of models was confirmed and results suggest mistrust of expertise is also a significant predictor of far-right voting. Discussion. The contribution of the paper lies in connecting conspiracy mentality with not only attitudes but also with important behaviour outcome - voting behaviour. We propose future research should experimentally examine whether the reduction of some of the identified predictors could possibly lower levels of conspiracy mentality and whether this reduction translates into voting behaviour.

Accuracy and Speed of Emotion Recognition With Face Masks

2024-02-29T01:06:32-08:00

Wearing face masks is one of the important actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among people around the world. Nevertheless, social interaction is limited via masks, and this impacts the accuracy and speed of emotional perception. In the present study, we assess the impact of mask-wearing on the accuracy and speed of emotion recognition. Fifty people (female n = 39, male n = 11) aged 19–28 participated in the study (M = 21.1 years). We used frontal photos of a Kosova woman who belonged to the same participants’ age group, with a grey background. Twelve different pictures were used that showed the emotional states of fear, joy, sadness, anger, neutrality, and disgust, in masked and unmasked conditions. The experiment was conducted in a controlled laboratory setting. Participants were faster for identifying emotions like joy (1.507 ms) and neutral (1.971 ms). The participants were more accurate (emotions identification) in unmasked faces (M = 85.7%) than in masked faces (M = 73.8%), F(1,98) = 20.73, MSE = 1027.66, p ≤ .001, partial η² = 0.17. Masks make confusion and reduce the accuracy and speediness of emotional detection. This may have a notable impact on social interactions among peoples.

Personal Growth and Motto Goals: Strengthening Emotion Regulation Ability via Affirmatory Metaphors Coaching

2024-02-29T01:06:34-08:00

Interventions can foster personal growth. However, our understanding of the specific mechanisms for change and the types of interventions driving this growth process remains limited. In this study, we focused on emotion regulation ability as a potential mechanism. We examined the effects of an affirmation coaching intervention on changes in emotion regulation ability, an important facet of personality. In this coaching intervention, participants created a personal mantra/goal derived from a selected image and positive associations linked to this image (motto goals). This is considered to enhance emotion regulation abilities by internalizing self-stabilizing value. We assigned sixty-six participants to either this affirmation coaching intervention or one of two control coaching interventions: specific-goal versus indulgence coaching. Before and after each intervention, participants completed questionnaires. Only the affirmation coaching intervention significantly increased in adaptive aspects of personality. Notably, the affirmation coaching intervention increased emotion regulation ability, and this effect persisted even when controlling for extraversion and neuroticism. Furthermore, exploratory analysis showed that extraversion increased following the affirmation coaching, while neuroticism remained unchanged. Our results suggest that emotion regulation ability might be the key factor in personality growth. It could be more malleable and/or respond more strongly to short-term coaching, compared to neuroticism. Thus, the malleability of personality traits may not be an all-or-nothing phenomenon; rather, it could depend on the facet of emotion regulation ability. We discuss potential mechanisms of personality growth, distinguishing between emotion regulation and emotion sensitivity.

Internet Addiction and Psychological Distress: Can Social Networking Site Addiction Affect Body Uneasiness Across Gender? A Mediation Model

2024-02-29T01:06:36-08:00

Introduction: The Internet, with its unlimited information, revolutionary communication capabilities, and innovative potential to expand knowledge, is ubiquitous throughout the world, but it also has significant implications for users’ mental health. Given the not yet clearly defined and distinguishable nosographic categories of online addiction and the resulting difficulties in describing the impact on users’ mental health, the present cross-sectional study aimed to gain new insights into the relationship between Internet addiction (especially social networking site [SNS] addiction), psychological distress, and physical discomfort, as well as gender differences in impact among users. Method: A sample of 583 Italian speakers (50.8% males; 48.7% females) with a mean age of 30.96 (SD = 12.12) completed an online survey in July 2021. A set of psychometric self-report instruments was administered to assess the study variables. Mediation analyses were performed for both the whole sample and across genders. Results: The study found that men exhibited higher levels of Internet addiction and craving than women, but no differences were found for SNS addiction. Furthermore, indicators of psychological distress (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress, loneliness, insomnia, and self-esteem) mediated the association between SNS addiction and body uneasiness, with slight differences across genders. Conclusion: This paper contributes to the existing literature on online addictive behaviors by also highlighting gender differences. The findings underscore the need for educational experiences that can prevent problematic use of the Internet and SNSs.

Social Support and Adherence to Self-Care Behavior Among Patients With Coronary Heart Disease and Heart Failure: A Systematic Review

2024-02-29T01:06:37-08:00

Cardiovascular diseases stand out as the foremost cause of mortality on a global scale and encompass conditions that require long term self-care. Coronary heart disease and heart failure are two cardiovascular conditions that require significant lifestyle modifications. Adherence to self-care is a multifaceted phenomenon, and is influenced by various factors that include social, economic, disease-related and healthcare system-related factors. A key factor in adherence to self-care in chronic illnesses is social support. To explore this relationship between social support and adherence to self-care, a systematic review was carried out across Scopus, EBSCO host and ProQuest from October 2022 to February 2023 using predefined search criteria. Studies from inception to February 2023 were considered for the review, ultimately incorporating a total of 11 studies. Six studies had an adult population with coronary heart disease while the remaining five had adults with heart failure. All the studies reported a significant positive correlation between social support and adherence to self-care. Our findings revealed that social support plays a significant role in promoting self-care, emphasizing the need for a holistic understanding of self-care to develop effective interventions. Along with self-report measures, objective measures should be used to assess adherence accurately. There is a need for scales that assess all aspects of self-care, as well as the development of new interventions and teaching strategies to facilitate the individual’s self-care journey. In addition, family members and trusted resources should be involved in encouraging self-care, and interventions should target both patients and their family members.

Correction of Alberto Dionigi, Mirko Duradoni, & Laura Vagnoli (2023). Understanding the Association Between Humor and Emotional Distress: The Role of Light and Dark Humor in Predicting Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

2024-02-29T01:06:38-08:00

Correction to: Dionigi, A., Duradoni, M., & Vagnoli, L. (2023). Understanding the association between humor and emotional distress: The role of light and dark humor in predicting depression, anxiety, and stress. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 19(4), 358–370. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.10013