Conspiracy beliefs have been linked to perceptions of collective victimhood. We adopt an individual perspective on victimhood by investigating the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and the individual disposition to perceive and react to injustice as a victim, i.e., victim justice sensitivity (VJS). Data from two German samples (Ns = 370, 373) indicated a positive association between VJS and conspiracy mentality beyond conceptually related covariates (e.g., mistrust). In a multinational sample from 15 countries (N = 14,978), VJS was positively associated with both general and specific conspiracy beliefs (about vaccines and climate change) within countries, though these associations varied across countries. However, economic, sociopolitical and cultural country-level factors that might explain the cross-country variability (e.g., GDP, Human Freedom Index, individualism-collectivism), including indices of collective exposure to direct violence, did not moderate the studied associations. Future research should investigate the relationship between victimhood and conspiracy beliefs, considering both intraindividual and intergroup perspectives.
Antisemitism and hostility toward Israel reliably co-occur, causing some to regard opposition to Israel as the "new antisemitism," a socially acceptable way to express an ancient prejudice. Others dismiss new antisemitism as a specious rhetorical tactic used to shame and silence earnest critics of Israel. Three preregistered studies addressed this issue. Study 1 (N = 373) found that Time 1 antisemitism predicted Time 2 anti-Israel attitudes via conspiracy beliefs about Israel and Zionists. We named this pattern the "Conspiracies Mediated Model of New Antisemitism." Study 2 (N = 243) cross-sectionally assessed the distinct mediational roles of anti-Israel conspiracies (Israel conspiring for itself), Zionist conspiracies (Jews conspiring for Israel), and Jewish-related conspiracies (Jews conspiring in ways unrelated to Israel). Conspiracies implicating Israel and Zionists again mediated the association between antisemitism and anti-Israel attitudes, but those related to Jews qua Jews did not. Study 3 (N = 493), using a three-time-point longitudinal design, showed that conspiracies related to Israel and Zionists, but not to Jews qua Jews, positively mediate the predictive relationship between antisemitism and anti-Israel beliefs. Across studies, the Conspiracies Mediated Model of New Antisemitism accounted for over 55% of the variance in anti-Israel attitudes-a substantial effect. Results were not due to a general conspiratorial mindset. Democrats, compared to Republicans, expressed less antisemitism but stronger anti-Israel attitudes and greater endorsement of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist conspiracies. These studies confirm that the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Israel hostility is reliable, predictive, and substantial, and that it is mediated by anti-Israel and anti-Zionist conspiracy beliefs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
We investigate whether a stable predisposition to interpret events as the result of conspiracies-conspiracism-is associated with the spontaneous generation of conspiratorial content in writing when interpreting ambiguous information. Across two studies (N = 385), participants watched the apocalyptic thriller Leave the World Behind and wrote an essay interpreting its meaning. Each essay was rated by a Large Language Model for its conspiratorial narrative content, that is, the degree to which the text contains claims that the public is being pervasively lied to about aspects of reality, enabling some groups to enact a harmful, self-serving agenda. Contrary to our preregistered hypothesis, we did not find an association between participants' conspiracism and their essays' level of conspiratorial narrative content. Exploratory linguistic analyses revealed that conspiracism was associated with greater use of conspiracy-related vocabulary (e.g., deception, government), a disproportionate use of sophisticated words, and increased syntactic complexity. These results suggest that conspiracism may emerge more readily at the lexical level rather than through fully structured narratives. We discuss potential methodological and theoretical factors contributing to these unexpected results, including the roles of context, perceived relevance, motivation, and collective social dynamics. We also consider the possibility that conspiracism may not directly translate into conspiratorial narratives. If so, we recommend comparative research on online vs offline conspiratorial writing to clarify whether conspiracy theories emerge spontaneously from genuine beliefs or are constructed strategically, detached from genuinely held beliefs.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading cause of cervical cancer, with Africa bearing a significant disease burden. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, superstitions and misinformation hinder HPV vaccine uptake, contributing to high mortality rates. This scoping review examines superstitious beliefs and misconceptions surrounding HPV and its vaccine in Africa, their cultural and social underpinnings, and their impact on public health interventions. Following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, this review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines and systematically analyzed literature obtained from nine databases. Seventeen studies, involving 2516 participants from seven African countries, met the inclusion criteria. We analyzed the data using thematic synthesis, and patterns such as superstitions, community narratives, and vaccine hesitancy were identified. Findings indicate widespread misconceptions, including beliefs that HPV is caused by curses, exposure to sunlight, or spiritual forces. Superstitions that link HPV vaccination to infertility, chronic diseases, and depopulation conspiracies are prevalent. Traditional and religious leaders played a critical role in shaping public perception, perpetuating mistrust in HPV vaccines. Superstitions reduce HPV vaccine acceptance and increase cervical cancer risks. Targeted health education, community engagement, and culturally sensitive interventions are crucial to dispelling myths and improving vaccine uptake in Africa.
Although the success of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is nationwide, the party received twice as many votes in East compared to West Germany in recent elections. While scholars have identified numerous general predictors of populist support, research explaining the East-West gap in AfD support remains inconclusive, largely relies on election data through 2021, and rarely integrates competing explanatory frameworks. Using representative survey data from late 2024 (N = 1,000), structural equation modeling was applied to make systematic, comparative claims about demand-side, voter-level explanatory factors from multiple theoretical frameworks. AfD vote intention was predicted by almost all examined socioeconomic, psychological and cultural variables. Moreover, East Germans reported lower income and stronger relative deprivation, distrust of state institutions, political conspiracy mentality, use of alternative political media, populist/nativist attitudes, national identification, and importance of being German than West Germans. Yet the East-West gap in AfD vote intention was mainly accounted for by political distrust, alternative political media use, and populist/nativist attitudes, whereas socioeconomic and psychological factors did not explain the gap from a cross-sectional perspective. This calls for further work on causally linking these frameworks to clarify demand-side mechanisms behind voting for populist radical right parties and the German East-West gap thereof.
Conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines circulated widely during the pandemic, yet their prevalence and association with vaccine refusal in sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly quantified. Understanding how global misinformation narratives shape vaccination acceptance in low- and middle-income settings is relevant to future pandemic preparedness. We conducted a cross-sectional survey between October 2023 and April 2024, recruiting 870 adults through convenience sampling across Nigeria's six geopolitical regions. COVID-19 vaccines had been available in the country since 2021, but national uptake remained low throughout this period. Structured face-to-face interviews assessed vaccine intentions, endorsement of specific conspiracy beliefs, information sources, and trust networks. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated with conspiracy endorsement and vaccine refusal. Of 870 participants, 742 (85.3%) were vaccine-hesitant, and 89.4% of these endorsed at least one conspiracy theory. Microchip or tracking device theories were the most frequently cited concern (32.1%). Overall vaccine acceptance was 14.7%. A graded inverse association was observed: each additional conspiracy theory endorsed was associated with an average 69% lower odds of vaccine acceptance (aOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.25-0.39; p for trend <0.001). In multivariable analysis, conspiracy endorsement was the factor most strongly associated with refusal (aOR 0.11, 95% CI 0.06-0.21). Its inclusion in the model substantially attenuated the coefficients for education and region, which suggests that these sociodemographic associations with refusal may be partly accounted for by differential conspiracy endorsement. COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories were widespread in Nigerian communities well into the national vaccination campaign, at a time of persistently low uptake, and represented the factor most strongly associated with refusal. The graded association between conspiracy endorsement and refusal, and the attenuation of sociodemographic predictors after adjustment for conspiracy beliefs, suggest that counter-misinformation strategies could be a high-yield component of future pandemic vaccine campaigns.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical importance of protective behaviours-such as mask-wearing, hand hygiene, and physical distancing-in managing public health crises. Understanding the factors that influence these behaviours is essential for improving preparedness and response in future health crises. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize evidence on determinants of protective behaviours during pandemics and to provide recommendations for policy and practice. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we conducted an umbrella review of peer-reviewed literature reviews and meta-analyses published up to June 2025. Searches in Epistemonikos, MEDLINE, and Scopus targeted reviews on "protective behaviours" and "COVID-19", including other infectious diseases. Eligibility criteria followed the Population-Concept-Context framework: general population, multifactorial determinants of protective behaviours, and pandemic contexts. Data extraction was performed in a table that included review characteristics, behavioural domains (general compliance, medical interventions, open dialogue promotion, information handling, hygiene, physical distancing, and other behaviours), and factor valence. We conducted a narrative synthesis organizing factors by sociodemographic, personal, and social-environmental categories, with valence classification based on consistency of findings across reviews. Quality appraisal used the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. From 86 records identified, 11 met inclusion criteria, covering COVID-19 and other diseases (e.g., H1N1, SARS, MERS, Ebola). Quality scores averaged 8.8/10. Protective behaviours were influenced by three categories of factors: (1) sociodemographic (age, gender, education, socio-economic status) (2), personal (perceptions, beliefs, trust in authorities and science, political orientation) and (3) social/environmental (access to protective materials, social norms, community support, health education and communication, policies). Enabling factors included trust in credible sources, perceived effectiveness of measures, and multimodal communication. Barriers comprised misinformation, conspiracy beliefs, and resource inaccessibility. Some factors (e.g., age, gender, education) showed inconsistent effects across behaviours. Findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive messaging, transparent communication, and targeted interventions for vulnerable populations. This umbrella review identifies multi-level determinants of protective behaviours to inform pandemic preparedness. It highlights the need for transparent communication through trusted channels, culturally adapted messaging, equitable access to protective resources, and targeted interventions for low-engagement groups. Integrating these determinants early may enhance population-level adherence. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42023467236.
Artificial intelligence developers are increasingly building language models with warm and friendly personas that millions of people now use for advice, therapy and companionship1. Here we show how this can create a significant trade-off: optimizing language models for warmth can undermine their performance, especially when users express vulnerability. We conducted controlled experiments on five different language models, training them to produce warmer responses, then evaluating them on consequential tasks. Warm models showed substantially higher error rates (+10 to +30 percentage points) than their original counterparts, promoting conspiracy theories, providing inaccurate factual information and offering incorrect medical advice. They were also significantly more likely to validate incorrect user beliefs, particularly when user messages expressed feelings of sadness. Importantly, these effects were consistent across different model architectures, and occurred despite preserved performance on standard tests, revealing systematic risks that standard testing practices may fail to detect. Our findings suggest that training artificial intelligence systems to be warm may come at a cost to accuracy, and that warmth and accuracy may not be independent by default. As these systems are deployed at an unprecedented scale and take on intimate roles in people's lives, this trade-off warrants attention from developers, policymakers and users alike.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant turning point in public engagement with science, with conservatives exhibiting a more pronounced decline than liberals. Just as the pandemic intensified polarization, we reasoned that post-crisis reflection could offer an opportunity to repair these divides by shaping future public engagement with scientists. Drawing on boundary work theory and classic research on one-sided versus two-sided messaging, we contrasted two widely observed public health communication styles to assess the legitimacy of pandemic-related information. Across four experiment-based studies conducted in 2025 (N = 1441), participants read about a scientist reflecting on lessons from COVID-19, with messaging framed as either authoritative (defending institutions, dismissing dissent, minimizing error, and selectively attributing misinformation) or accountability-embracing (acknowledging mistakes, engaging critics, and recognizing cross-ideological misinformation). Participants evaluated the scientist on: (a) immediate, attitude-based indicators of engagement, including generalized trust in scientists, prestige, and conspiracy beliefs, and (b) deliberate, actionable indicators, including funding support and willingness to provide the scientist with a public platform. Across studies, accountability-embracing approaches elicited greater engagement on most metrics, with especially clear benefits among political conservatives in several conditions. In polarized contexts following uncertainty-laden crises, reflexivity and accountability across ideological lines may offer a more promising path to restoring public engagement with science.
Surrogacy elicits different attitudes influenced by ethical, cultural, and political factors. While scales for assessing attitudes towards surrogacy exist, their validity in sociopolitical contexts remains underexplored. Therefore, the current study aims to adapt and validate the Attitudes Towards Surrogacy Scale in the Italian context, where in December 2024 the domestic ban on surrogacy has been extended to encompass any surrogacy arrangements undertaken abroad by Italian citizens. To reach this aim, in 2025, we implemented three independent studies to test the instrument's structure, internal reliability, measurement invariance, and its nomological and convergent validity. Exploratory factor analysis (Study 1, N = 613) and confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2, N = 1,107), showed a two-factor structure of the scale and pointed out excellent fit, internal reliability, and measurement invariance across participants' gender and age. Finally, Study 3 (N = 334) evaluated convergent and nomological validity of the scale, pointing out significant associations with religiosity, political orientation, heteronormative attitudes, and anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. The Italian version of the ATSS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing attitudes towards surrogacy within a restricted legal context. This instrument may represent a promising tool helping provide insight to policymakers and public health organisations in designing and evaluating initiatives concerning surrogacy. The results of the current work may provide the foundation for future research, as well as inform public discourse, policy debate, and educational intervention related to reproductive rights and family diversity in Italy.
The importance of examining human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine-related conspiratorial thinking and its effects has become more prominent amid the global increase in anti-vaccine activism. However, little is known about how conspiratorial thinking shapes vaccine-related outcomes and how these processes vary across sociocultural contexts. Using survey data from China (N = 619) and the United States (N = 600), this study distinguishes between conspiracy orientation and conspiracy attribution in the context of the HPV vaccine. We propose a serial mediation model involving active communication behaviors (ACBs) that explain how conspiratorial thinking leads to vaccine-related outcomes. Results showed that conspiracy attribution and ACBs sequentially mediated the negative relationship between vaccine conspiracy orientation and HPV vaccination recommendation among Chinese active-vulnerable publics, whereas the opposite pattern emerged among their U.S. counterparts. These cross-national differences emphasize the contextual nature of communication behaviors when publics are engaged in a quasi-problem-solving process. The findings offer both theoretical insights into conspiratorial information processing and practical implications for developing more tailored counter-conspiracy communication strategies.
Conspiracy beliefs have long been a recurring feature of human society; however, when they target disadvantaged groups, such as the LGBTQ+ people, they represent a particularly harmful phenomenon with detrimental consequences. Despite the increasing interest in the phenomenon, research to date has often overlooked the influence of an individual social environment. Indeed, recent evidence highlighted that individuals who experience limited social integration might be more vulnerable to adopting a conspiratorial mentality. In this regard, social isolation may represent a possible trigger, fuelling epistemic uncertainty and existential anxiety, and enhancing susceptibility to anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs. Hence, the current study (N = 820) investigated whether individuals who experience heightened levels of perceived social isolation are more likely to report high levels of anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs endorsement via an enhanced conspiratorial mentality. Results were in line with our expectations, pointing out positive associations between perceived social isolation and conspiracy beliefs, both directly and indirectly, as a function of greater levels of conspiracy mentality. Therefore, an individual's social isolation may represent a promising approach to highlighting the factors that produce fertile ground for the endorsement of anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy beliefs and may represent a promising aspect for identifying potential pathways for intervention and prevention.
This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) aims to synthesize empirical studies to determine prominent risk factors associated with radicalization and violent extremism (RVE), as well as moderating or mediating factors that trigger the radicalization pathways. Following the prior set eligibility criteria, the PRISMA guideline was used to identify, screen, and select the empirical studies. In this SLR, we have identified some prominent risk factors of RVE and categorized them into micro, meso, and macro level factors. At the micro level, age, gender, education, SES, psychopathological issues, personality and psychological traits, proviolence and hostile attitude, political-ideological beliefs, intolerance, conspiracy mentality, and moral disengagement, while at the meso level, family dysfunction, a post-conflict society, social isolation, harsh school environment, perceived intergroup threats, psychological needs, and low social support are considered to be key risk factors. At the macro level, collective strain, political conflict, strong religious and ethnic identity, and group-based relative deprivation significantly influence radicalization processes. The findings of the current SLR pointed toward multiple risk factors for the radicalization process. These findings can be imperative in developing counter-radicalization interventions and planning preventive strategies.
COVID-19 vaccination plays a crucial role in reducing infection, hospitalization, and mortality. However, although the pandemic disproportionately affected racialized and Indigenous older adults, little is known about their attitudes and trust toward vaccines. This cross-sectional study examined COVID-19 vaccine mistrust and its associations with health literacy, conspiracy beliefs, and racial discrimination among racially diverse older Canadians. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among racially diverse adults aged 55 years and older across Canada using Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing. COVID-19 vaccine mistrust was assessed as the dependent variable, while health literacy, conspiracy beliefs, racial discrimination, and sociodemographic characteristics were examined as independent variables. t-tests, ANOVA, and multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine associations between COVID-19 vaccine mistrust and the independent variables. The sample comprised 581 participants (11.5% Arab, 15.8% Asian, 16.2% Black, 9.0% Indigenous, 8.1% Mixed, 3.6% Other, and 35.8% White). COVID-19 vaccine mistrust varied significantly by race, with Black, Indigenous, Arab, and Asian participants reporting higher mistrust than White counterparts, F(6,574) = 7.14, p < 0.001. COVID-19 vaccine mistrust was greater among adults aged 55-64 (M = 10.5, 95%CI: 10.1-10.9) compared to those aged 65 and more (M = 8.7, 95%CI: 8.3-9.1). Regression analyses showed higher COVID-19 vaccine mistrust among Asian (β = 1.37, p < 0.001) and Black (β = 1.07, p = 0.003) participants. It was associated with lower vaccine confidence (β = -0.39, p < 0.001), and stronger conspiracy beliefs (β = 0.17, p < 0.001). This study reveals persistent racial and age disparities in COVID-19 vaccine mistrust among older Canadians. Beyond misinformation, mistrust reflects historical inequities and exclusion. Culturally grounded communication, improved health and media literacy, and trust-centered public health strategies are essential to strengthen vaccine confidence and promote equity in Canada's diverse aging population.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the challenges posed by the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, exacerbating societal polarization and institutional distrust. Understanding how misinformation and disinformation is understood and framed in public discourse is essential to developing strategies for building societal resilience and promoting informed decision-making during crises. This study explores the use of the terms misinformation and disinformation across Swiss public discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic, examining their framing within newspaper articles and social media interactions. The findings aim to inform policymakers and journalists or communicators on mitigating the societal impact of misinformation and disinformation through the promotion of a common understanding of the terms misinformation and disinformation. We analyzed 2 datasets using a natural language processing pipeline, including lemmatization, co-occurrence analysis, and semantic network mapping: media articles retrieved via Factiva and social media posts collected via CrowdTangle. The framing of misinformation and disinformation varied significantly across the datasets. News media highlighted its role in shaping public sentiment, often discussing the tension between journalistic integrity and the amplification of falsehoods. Social media exhibited polarized narratives, with discussions centered on conspiracy theories, distrust in institutions, and grassroots mobilization. Diverging narratives on the very concepts of misinformation and disinformation across public discourse reflect broader societal tensions. Robust journalistic integrity in the media and resilience strategies against misinformation and disinformation involving empowering publics through information literacy approaches are critical to bridging divides and reducing polarization.
Conspiracy theories threaten Western societies' cohesion and democracy. Yet, little is known about who might be vulnerable to conspiracy-motivated violent radicalization, which is essential for effective prevention. The first aim of this study was to identify profiles of cognitive and behavioral violent radicalization tendencies and COVID-19 conspiracy exposure and belief among a sample of Dutch youth (N = 593, 16 to 26-years-old) drawn during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second aim was to describe the identified profiles based on risk factor presence. Latent-profile analyses identified four profiles. Most individuals belonged to the general population profile (64%) characterized by low levels of cognitive and behavioral violent radicalization, as well as low levels of COVID-19 conspiracy exposure and belief. The experimenters (20%), violent-risk (8%), and conspiracist (7%) profiles displayed higher levels of these constructs. Results revealed that micro- and meso-level risk factors were most pronounced in the violent-risk profile, which exhibited the highest levels of behavioral violent radicalization. For people in the conspiracist profile with higher levels of COVID-19 conspiracy belief, micro-level risk factors, specifically police illegitimacy and perceived personal discrimination were important, demonstrating the importance of fairness and justice during political decision-making. Overall, integrating evidence-based strategies for anti-crime interventions into anti-radicalization efforts may help curb violently radical behavior (Jugl et al., Monatsschrift Fur Kriminologie Und Strafrechtsreform, 1-16. 2021a). The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10610-025-09634-z.
Biostimulatory fillers, such as poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA), have transformed aesthetics by promoting neocollagenesis through regulated inflammatory and cytokine-driven cascades. Their clinical effectiveness is well-established, but there is a lack of a synthesis of their mechanisms of action. The proposed comprehensive narrative literature review synthesized the contemporary evidence on the cytokine-modulating mechanisms and pathways of inflammatory responses induced by PLLA, PDLLA, PCL, and CaHA. The study design is a narrative literature review, which is performed using a systematic approach based on PRISMA 2020 guidelines. As a comprehensive literature review incorporating heterogeneous and predominantly non-comparative study designs, a formal risk-of-bias assessment using standardized tools was not performed; however, study limitations were considered qualitatively. It matched the identified mechanistic processes with clinical outcomes and safety profiles. The review included 22 clinical studies published from 1stJanuary 2010 to 28th February 2026, comprising randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and quasi-experimental designs. Extracted data were systematically categorized into six predefined domains: acute inflammatory profile, macrophage polarization, fibroblast extracellular matrix (ECM) response, angiogenesis, clinical outcomes, and adverse events based on thematic analysis of study endpoints. All four biostimulators elicit a controlled inflammatory response characterized by macrophage infiltration and, in some cases, foreign-body giant cell formation. PLLA and PDLLA promote a transition from pro-inflammatory to pro-regenerative M2 macrophage phenotypes, driving sustained upregulation of Type I and III collagen, elastin, and angiogenesis. PCL induces durable neocollagenesis lasting up to 24 months, supported by neovascularization. CaHA stimulates fibroblast activity and ECM production, with a more pronounced early inflammatory gene signature than PLLA. Clinically, all biostimulators achieve significant and sustained improvements in wrinkle severity, skin quality, and volume restoration, with high patient satisfaction rates. Adverse events were predominantly mild and transient, with nodule formation being most notable with PLLA (4.7-28.6%). The study concluded that PLLA, PDLLA, PCL, and CaHA each elicit distinct yet overlapping inflammatory and cytokine-mediated cascades that culminate in robust neocollagenesis and tissue remodeling. Understanding these mechanistic differences enables clinicians to tailor treatment selection and protocols to achieve optimal, durable aesthetic outcomes with favorable safety profiles.
Antisemitism-defined as prejudice and hostility toward Jews-is traditionally studied by examining explicit negative stereotypes and historical discriminatory actions against Jewish communities. However, this article explores an often overlooked and understudied dimension: how positive stereotypes about Jewish people paradoxically reinforce antisemitism and contribute to their marginalization. While negative stereotypes about Jews are widely recognized as harmful and unwelcomed, positive stereotypes-such as perception of high intelligence and financial achievements-are frequently misunderstood as benign. We investigate how these seemingly positive traits could facilitate and reinforce negative outcomes for Jewish people. We propose, analogous to the framework built on the model minority myth literature in Asian American Studies literature, that positive stereotypes also perpetuate antisemitism through three psychological mechanisms: (a) othering, social alienation, and eroded social solidarity; (b) fostering resentment and neglecting diversity of ingroup experiences; and (c) enabling scapegoating and conspiracy narratives. We explore their consequences at the individual, group, and societal levels. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Existing mobilisation literature has largely focused on groups and collective sensemaking processes as the primary drivers of collective action. However, online influencers have emerged as key leaders and mobilisers, which can shape collective action through one-to-many communication. Using self-categorisation theory, we examine indirect mobilisation and the legitimation of violence during the August 2024 UK riots through a case study of a far-right influencer's Telegram channel. The dataset consists of 230 posts and 156 pieces of multimedia content from the Tommy Robinson News Telegram channel from 29th July to 7th August 2024. We employed an abductive thematic analysis approach, revealing how throughout the progression of the riots, posts in the Telegram channel construct group identities, establish epistemic authority and leadership legitimacy, and legitimise violence. Our findings extend the social identity approach of mobilisation into the digital realm, revealing how broadcast-style, unidirectional affordances of Telegram channels can impact the dynamics of leadership, identity construction and mobilisation of (violent) collective action.
The COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in parallel with an infodemic where competing information from formal and informal sources shaped protective behavior. This study conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from 742 U.S. adults to examine how reliance on different information channels influenced risk perceptions, socio-political beliefs, and protective intentions. Structural equation modeling revealed that reliance on formal sources, such as government websites and mainstream news, was positively associated with perceived severity, reduced conspiracy endorsement, and more liberal political orientation, all of which increased mask-wearing and vaccination intentions. Reliance on informal sources, including social media and peer networks, reduced severity perceptions, heightened conspiracy beliefs, and reinforced more conservative orientations, which in turn undermined compliance. Perceived severity functioned as a central mediator, directly encouraging mask use and indirectly promoting vaccination through reduced conspiracy endorsement. Political ideology and conspiracy beliefs further shaped vaccine intentions, highlighting the ideological pathways through which information exerts influence. Mask-wearing and vaccination clustered together, indicating a generalized orientation toward protective action. The model underscored the critical role of information environments as upstream determinants of health behavior during crises. These findings emphasize that managing both formal and informal channels is essential for effective crisis communication and for strengthening public compliance in future health emergencies.