Trust in information sources as a moderator of the impact of COVID-19 anxiety and exposure to information on conspiracy thinking and misinformation beliefs: a multilevel study.

This study investigates the intricate relationship between exposure to information sources, trust in these sources, conspiracy and misinformation beliefs, and COVID-19 anxiety among 509 Omani citizens aged 11 to 50, representing 11 governorates. Employing structural equation modeling, we not only examine these associations but also explore how trust and COVID-19 anxiety act as moderating variables in this context. Additionally, we delve into demographic factors such as age group, educational level, gender, and place of residence (governorate) to discern potential variations.Our findings reveal that trust in health experts is inversely related to belief in conspiracy theories, while trust in health experts negatively correlates with exposure to conspiracy and misinformation. Intriguingly, trust in health experts exhibits divergent effects across governorates: it diminishes conspiracy and misinformation beliefs in some regions but not in others. Exposure to personal contacts and digital media, on the other hand, is associated with heightened beliefs in misinformation and conspiracy theories, respectively, in select governorates. These distinctions may be attributed to proximity to Muscat, the capital city of Oman, where various media outlets and policy-making institutions are situated. Furthermore, lower educational attainment is linked to greater belief in conspiracy and misinformation. Females reported higher levels of conspiracy theory beliefs and COVID-19 anxiety while no significant differences were detected in misinformation beliefs.This study sheds light on the intricate dynamics of misinformation and conspiracy theories in the context of COVID-19 in Oman, highlighting the pivotal roles of trust and COVID-19 anxiety as moderating factors. These findings offer valuable insights into understanding and addressing the spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories during a public health crisis.

Rasch analysis and differential item functioning of English language anxiety scale (ELAS) across sex in Egyptian context.

BACKGROUND: English language anxiety (ELA) is a prevalent phenomenon in language education. It is one of the most commonly investigated non-linguistic variables in studies of language learning. Accordingly, numerous studies have paid great attention to the factors leading to FLA. METHODS: As instruments of ELA have not been subjected to a rigorous test of item response theory (IRT), this study conducted such analysis using the Rasch rating scale model. ELAS scale developed using classical testing theory (CTT), which consists of 32 items measuring four sub-scales (listening, speaking, reading and writing anxiety), was analysed using IRT. WINSTEPS software and SPSS version 26 were used to examine the psychometric properties, sex differential item functioning (DIF) and Rasch analysis of the ELAS in the Egyptian context. A total of 604 participants were recruited for data collection. RESULTS: The main findings indicated that the scale yielded a good approximation of Rasch assumptions and appears to be a valid and reliable tool. DIF was computed using the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) method and Welch's t-test, which indicated that no sex bias was detected for any item of the ELAS. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents a promising ELA instrument characterized by adequate validity, reliability and objectivity in addition to potential for precise use in comparison between males and females because it is invariant across sex.