They will not control us

Ingroup positivity and belief in intergroup conspiracies

Bibliographic Data

ID5267779
AuthorsAleksandra Cichocka (0000-0003-1703-1586, School of Psychology University of Kent Canterbury UK, corresponding author), Marta Marchlewska (0000-0003-2807-5189, Institute for Social Studies University of Warsaw Poland), Agnieszka Golec De Zavala (0000-0002-7631-9486, Department of Psychology University of Social Sciences and Humanities Poznań Poland), Mateusz Olechowski (0000-0002-7207-889X, Faculty of Psychology University of Warsaw Poland)
Year2016
Volume107
Issue3
Pages556-576
Publication date2016-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjop.12158
PMID26511288
OpenAlexW1872162015
LanguageEN
Citations received146
References cited57

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

Collective responsibility · Developmental psychology · In-group favoritism · Ingroups and outgroups · Narcissism · Outgroup · Social group · Social identity theory · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

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