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To trust or not to trust in the thrall of the COVID-19 pandemic: Conspiracy endorsement and the role of adverse childhood experiences, epistemic trust, and personality functioning

Author

Listed:
  • Kampling, Hanna
  • Riedl, David
  • Hettich, Nora
  • Lampe, Astrid
  • Nolte, Tobias
  • Zara, Sandra
  • Ernst, Mareike
  • Brähler, Elmar
  • Sachser, Cedric
  • Fegert, Jörg M.
  • Gingelmaier, Stephan
  • Fonagy, Peter
  • Krakau, Lina
  • Kruse, Johannes

Abstract

Conspiracy endorsement is a public health challenge for the successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. While usually considered a societal phenomenon, little is known about the equally important developmental backdrops and personality characteristics like mistrust that render an individual prone to conspiracy endorsement. There is a growing body of evidence implying a detrimental role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – a highly prevalent developmental burden – in the development of epistemic trust and personality functioning. This study aimed to investigate the association between ACEs and conspiracy endorsement in the general population, specifically questioning a mediating role of epistemic trust and personality functioning.

Suggested Citation

  • Kampling, Hanna & Riedl, David & Hettich, Nora & Lampe, Astrid & Nolte, Tobias & Zara, Sandra & Ernst, Mareike & Brähler, Elmar & Sachser, Cedric & Fegert, Jörg M. & Gingelmaier, Stephan & Fonagy, Pet, 2024. "To trust or not to trust in the thrall of the COVID-19 pandemic: Conspiracy endorsement and the role of adverse childhood experiences, epistemic trust, and personality functioning," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:341:y:2024:i:c:s0277953623008833
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116526
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ferreira, Simão & Campos, Carlos & Marinho, Beatriz & Rocha, Susana & Fonseca-Pedrero, Eduardo & Barbosa Rocha, Nuno, 2022. "What drives beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories? The role of psychotic-like experiences and confinement-related factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
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    4. Andrea Danese & Cathy Spatz Widom, 2020. "Objective and subjective experiences of child maltreatment and their relationships with psychopathology," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 4(8), pages 811-818, August.
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    6. Chloe Campbell & Michal Tanzer & Rob Saunders & Thomas Booker & Elizabeth Allison & Elizabeth Li & Claire O’Dowda & Patrick Luyten & Peter Fonagy, 2021. "Development and validation of a self-report measure of epistemic trust," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(4), pages 1-21, April.
    7. Federica Maria Magarini & Margherita Pinelli & Arianna Sinisi & Silvia Ferrari & Giovanna Laura De Fazio & Gian Maria Galeazzi, 2021. "Irrational Beliefs about COVID-19: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-21, September.
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