Threatening events (hurricanes, disease outbreaks, famines) are associated with an upsurge of conspiracy beliefs that provide people with simple explanations to tackle the feelings of anxiety and lack of control. In our study (N = 783), conducted shortly after the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in our country, we examined whether people with higher anxiety and lack of control concerning the pandemic adopt more conspiracy beliefs about the origin, spread and potential cure of the new coronavirus. We also tested whether the rise of coronavirus-specific conspiracy beliefs is associated with the endorsement of generic epistemically suspect (i.e. paranormal, conspiracy, and pseudoscientific) beliefs as well. Our results show that higher perception of risk and lower trust in institutions concerning the COVID-19 pandemic were related to the feelings of anxiety and lack of control which in turn predicted an increase in coronavirus-specific conspiracy beliefs. Importantly, these beliefs were further related to the higher endorsement of generic paranormal, conspiracy, and pseudoscientific beliefs. The results show how threatening events, such as the current pandemic, lead to a rise in various epistemically suspect beliefs by increasing people’s feelings of anxiety and lack of control.
While well-being is known to be mainly predicted by relatively stable personality traits and demographic factors, under circumstances of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the role of these predictors may be attenuated, and more situational factors may come into play. In the present study, we examined those relatively stable predictors of well-being along with COVID-19 specific factors, such as the perception of health and economic threat, unrealistic optimism, lack of control, trust in government regulations, and the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs. The data collection took place in early November 2020, when the second wave in Slovakia started to gain momentum and the strict lockdown was issued. Slovak adults (
N =
1020) reported their current positive and negative affect and current, as well as estimated pre-pandemic and predicted future life satisfaction. The results showed that positive and negative affect was predicted mainly by extraversion and negative emotionality. On the other hand, life satisfaction, and its perceived change from before the pandemic and in three months, was predicted mainly by COVID-19 factors, especially perceived economical threat, unrealistic optimism, and trust in governmental regulations. We discuss the importance of these factors when considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on peoples' well-being.
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