University of Nottingham, United Kingdom.
La Trobe University, Australia.
Curr Opin Psychol. 2022 Oct;47:101363. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101363. Epub 2022 May 28.
The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated how conspiracy beliefs-that explain important events as the secret actions of the powerful-can severely impact health choices (such as reduced infection-prevention behaviours). However, the consequences of conspiracy beliefs span far beyond the topic of COVID-19. This review shines a spotlight on how conspiracy beliefs could impact public and personal health (e.g., vaccine uptake), democratic citizenship (e.g., political engagement), intergroup relations (e.g., prejudice and discrimination), and may inspire violence and extremism. We argue that conspiracy beliefs are likely to have the power to mobilise citizens in ways detrimental to a smooth-running society. We conclude the review by offering a range of fruitful avenues for future investigation.
新冠疫情大流行揭示了一个现象，即阴谋论观点——将重要事件解释为有权势者的秘密行动——可能会严重影响健康选择（例如减少感染预防行为）。然而，阴谋论观点的后果远远超出了新冠疫情这一话题。这篇综述聚焦于阴谋论观点如何影响公众和个人健康（例如疫苗接种率）、民主公民身份（例如政治参与）、群体间关系（例如偏见和歧视），并可能引发暴力和极端主义。我们认为，阴谋论观点可能具有动员公民的力量，但这种力量不利于社会的顺利运转。我们在综述的结尾提出了一系列未来研究的有价值方向。
