People who are prone to national narcissism easily become tools for spreading conspiracy theories.
He writes about this in his In the magazine Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin a group of sociologists and psychologists from New York University (USA).
National narcissism is a painful belief in the notorious superiority and underestimated greatness of one’s nation, accompanied by an aggressive attitude towards those who do not share this belief.
The researchers decided to find out how national narcissism correlates with belief in conspiracy theories — in particular, conspiracy theories related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, scientists conducted three surveys, in which 293 Americans, 637 British citizens, and over 50 thousand people from 56 other countries of the world took part.
The surveys asked participants to rate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with statements such as: “Until my country gets the recognition it deserves in the world, I will never be satisfied” or “My country deserves special relations». Participants also had to indicate the extent to which they believe in popular conspiracy theories related to the pandemic, such as that China deliberately created the virus to use it as a bioweapon.
Analysis of the data obtained as a result of surveys showed:
the more people are exposed to national narcissism, the stronger they believe in conspiracy theories and the more willing they are to spread them
“It is important to understand that in how people construct their beliefs, their social identity, that is, the sense of belonging to a certain group, plays a central role.
Of course, it’s not bad if you’re part of a group that prioritizes the well-being of its members. But if you associate yourself with a group that is obsessed with ideas of self-importance and the desire for dominance, this does not bode well for you. in a commentary for PsyPost, study lead author Jay Van Bavel.