Maladaptive Personality Traits, Religiosity and Spirituality as Predictors of Epistemically Unfounded Beliefs

Abstract

The present research focuses on the question whether spirituality, religiosity and maladaptive personality traits, as measured by the PID-5 (antagonism, psychoticism, disinhibition, negative affectivity, detachment), predict epistemologically unfounded beliefs (conspiracies, pseudo-science and paranormal beliefs). The sample included 829 participants recruited through social networks (58% women, mean age 29.98 years). The results showed that especially psychoticism is a positive predictor of all types epistemologically unfounded beliefs (EUB). Spirituality and religiosity predicted only paranormal beliefs with very small effect size. No interaction between psychoticism and spirituality/religiosity in prediction of EUB was found. Results confirmed that some maladaptive personality traits (especially psychoticism) can play a significant role in EUB and should be taken into account when considering sources of EUB at the individual level.

Contemporary trends in psychological research on conspiracy beliefs. A systematic review

“…This undefinable power is a fundamental feature of conspiracy thinking ( Galliford and Furnham, 2017 ). Although in some studies religious individuals were more likely than non-religious ones to believe in conspiracy theories ( Kim and Kim, 2021 ; Leibovitz et al, 2021 ; Tonković et al, 2021 ; Freeman et al, 2022 ), other studies found no significant relationship (e.g., Agley and Xiao, 2021 ; Andrade, 2021c ; Furnham, 2021 ; Teličák and Halama, 2021 ), or the relationship was different for different CBs scales ( Atari et al, 2019 ). In a study by Jasinskaja-Lahti and Jetten (2019) , no differences were found between endorsement of CBs between believers and non-believers.…”

“…These general constructs of conspiratorial functioning constitute universal predispositions, not determined by sociopolitical or cultural contexts. CBs were also investigated as a part of a wider category of “unfounded beliefs” ( Teličák and Halama, 2021 ). The generality of belief hypothesis (i.e., the generality of endorsement of various unsubstantiated claims, such as unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, scientific and psychological misconceptions, or paranormal beliefs) received support ( Bensley et al, 2020 ).…”

“…In the area of psychopathology, CBs were found to be positively related to paranoia ( Furnham and Grover, 2021 ; Kuhn et al, 2021 ; Larsen et al, 2021 ; Freeman et al, 2022 ), schizotypy ( Barron et al, 2018 ; Hart and Graether, 2018 ; Georgiou et al, 2019 ; Denovan et al, 2020 ; Dyrendal et al, 2021 ; Furnham and Grover, 2021 ), delusion proneness ( Georgiou et al, 2019 ; Larsen et al, 2021 ), borderline ( Furnham and Grover, 2021 ); psychoticism ( Bowes et al, 2021 ; Teličák and Halama, 2021 ), and dissociative tendencies ( Pisl et al, 2021a ). The relationship between schizotypy and CBs was mediated by thinking styles ( Barron et al, 2018 ; Denovan et al, 2020 ).…”

“…It is worth pointing out that researchers outline the relations between religiosity and spirituality differently in their studies of CBs. Teličák and Halama (2021) approach the two constructs autonomously, recording weak positive relations between CBs and spirituality and religiosity (slightly stronger for spirituality). Kosarkova et al (2021) demonstrated an interesting relationship, namely that spirituality without being religiously affiliated was linked to high levels of vaccination refusal and hesitancy, whereas affiliation to a church showed no significant associations.…”

Religion, spirituality, and susceptibility to conspiracy theories: examining the role of analytic thinking and post-critical beliefs

“…Accordingly, the empirical evidence for the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and belief in conspiratorial forces is far from conclusive. Although individual religiosity is often positively, albeit moderately, associated with specific conspiracy beliefs and a general conspiracy mentality (e.g., Jasinskaja-Lahti and Jetten, 2019; Teličák and Halama, 2021;Yendell and Herbert, 2022;Frenken et al, 2023), some studies find no robust evidence for such an association (e.g., Čavojová et al, 2019;Lobato and Zimmerman, 2019;Farkhari et al, 2022;Ladini, 2022).…”