A cross-country assessment of conspiracy beliefs, trust in institutions, and attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccination.

Conspiracy beliefs have spread during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is important to understand them because of their potential to undermine trust in societal institutions and willingness to get vaccined. In the present research (N = 538), we assessed the links between conspiracy beliefs, trust in institutions (e.g., government, WHO), and attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccination across the USA, Brazil and the UK. A moderated mediation analysis revealed the crucial role of political leaders in linking conspiracy beliefs with vaccination attitudes. Trust in the president was positively associated with conspiracy beliefs in Brazil because of its conspiracist president at the time (Bolsonaro), which in turn was negatively associated with vaccination attitudes. In contrast, trust in political leaders at the time in the UK (Johnson) and the USA (Biden) was negatively associated with conspiracy beliefs. In conclusion, our findings contribute to understanding the underlying mechanisms that link conspiracy beliefs with trust and vaccination attitudes.

The dark side of Brazil: Effects of dark traits on general COVID-19 worry and responses against the pandemic.

Brazil is one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., 563,470 deaths until August 9th, 2021). Since the Brazilian government is partly struggling and partly unwilling to control the pandemic, staying healthy falls almost exclusively to the population. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the predictive role of personality traits to explain the willingness to combat the COVID-19 virus. In the present study (N = 496), we investigated the Dark Pentad traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, sadism, and spitefulness. Our findings revealed that the first four traits were consistently negatively associated with various measures that indicate whether the pandemic is taken seriously, such as the perceived severity of COVID-19 and intentions to act against COVID-19. Structural equation modeling further showed that general COVID-19 worry mediated the link between the Dark Pentad and adaptive and maladaptive responses. Our results indicate that all dark traits are associated with unsocial behaviors, but their relative importance varies depending on the outcome variable.

Propriedades psicométricas da Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies (CAST) no Brasil / Psychometric properties of the Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies (CAST) in Brazil / Propiedades psicométricas de la Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies (CAST) en Brasil

Objetivou-se reunir evidências psicométricas da Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies (CAST) no Brasil. Os resultados da análise fatorial exploratória indicaram uma solução unifatorial, com adequada precisão, tendo itens com discriminação entre moderada e muito alta, cobrindo uma ampla faixa do traço latente. As correlações da CAST com a Tríade Sombria, amabilidade e conscienciosidade e com os fatores da escala de agressão são evidências de validade convergente, além do sadismo ter um incremento significativo na explicação do comportamento agressivo. Pensando no avanço dos estudos sobre a Tétrade Sombria, selecionaram-se os quatro itens mais informativos da CAST, acoplando-os aos 12 da Dirty Dozen, testados por meio de uma análise fatorial confirmatória, apresentaram indicadores de ajuste aceitáveis. No conjunto, os resultados reúnem evidências da adequação psicométrica da CAST, oferecendo uma versão curta e eficaz para avaliação da Tétrade Sombria. (AU)

The objective of the study was to collect psychometric evidence for the Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies (CAST) in Brazil. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated a unifactorial solution with adequate reliability and moderate to high discrimination items, covering a wide range of the latent trait. Correlations of the CAST with the Dark Triad, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and with the factors of the aggression scale are evidence of convergent validity. Moreover, sadism significantly increases the explanation of aggressive behavior. Bearing in mind the development of studies on the Dark Tetrad, the four most informative items of the CAST combined with the 12 items of the Dirty Dozen were tested using a Confirmatory Factor Analysis and presented acceptable indexes of fit. Overall, the findings gather evidence of psychometric suitability of the CAST and provide a short and efficient tool to assess the Dark Tetrad. (AU)

Se buscó reunir evidencias psicométricas de la Comprehensive Assessment of Sadistic Tendencies (CAST) en Brasil. Los resultados del Análisis Factorial Exploratorio indicaron una solución unifactorial, con adecuada precisión, teniendo ítems con discriminación moderada y muy alta, cubriendo una amplia parte del rasgo latente. Las correlaciones de la CAST con la Tríada Oscura, amabilidad y concienciosidad y con los factores de la escala de agresión son evidencias de validez convergente, además del sadismo tener un incremento significativo en la explicación del comportamiento agresivo. Considerando el curso de los estudios sobre la Tétrada Oscura, se seleccionaron los cuatro ítems más informativos de la CAST, acoplándolos a los 12 de Dirty Dozen, evaluados por medio de un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio, presentaron indicadores de ajuste aceptables. En el conjunto, los resultados reúnen evidencias de la adecuación psicométrica de la CAST, ofreciendo una versión corta y eficaz para la evaluación de la Tétrada Oscura. (AU)

Essa eu vou postar: Explorando as relações entre narcisismo, uso do Instagram e a moderação da autoestima / This I will post: Exploring the relationship between narcissism, use of Instagram and moderation role of self-esteem / Esto lo voy a publicar: Explorando las relaciones entre narcisismo, uso del Instagram y la moderación de la autoestima

Resumo: O narcisismo envolve características como exibicionismo, grandiosidade e necessidade constante de ser admirado. Tais características apontam o papel fundamental que este traço de personalidade pode ter para explicar o uso do Instagram. Esta rede social parece ser um cenário propício para que os narcisistas possam se autopromover e manterem seu autoconceito grandioso e irrealístico, buscando feedback positivo por meio de curtidas, visualizações e comentários. Nesta direção, o presente estudo objetiva analisar o papel preditor do narcisismo em relação ao uso do Instagram, testando o papel moderador da autoestima. Participaram 207 usuários desta rede social, sendo identificado que narcisistas tendem a passar mais tempo no Instagram, postam mais fotos e stories, atribuindo muita importância a receber feedback (curtidas e visualizações). Ademais, verificou-se que a importância atribuída a receber feedbacks foi mais forte entre os narcisistas que possuem baixa autoestima, sendo que receber curtidas e visualizações pode ser uma forma de compensação para os baixos níveis nesta variável. Portanto, observa-se que o uso do Instagram pode ser explicado por meio do narcisismo, podendo haver interações com a autoestima, dando importantes insights para se entender o uso problemático desta rede social.

Abstract: Narcissism involves characteristics such as exhibitionism, grandiosity and a constant need to be admired. Such characteristics highlight the role that this personality trait may have in the use of Instagram. This social network seems to be a propitious setting for narcissists to self-promote and maintain their grandiose and unrealistic self-concept by seeking positive feedback through number of likes, views, and comments. Thus, the present study aims to analyze the predictive role of narcissism in Instagram use, testing the moderating role of self-esteem. Participants were 207 users of this social network, whereby it was identified that narcissists tend to spend more time on Instagram, post more pictures and stories, giving much importance to receiving feedback (likes and views). Moreover, it was verified that the importance attributed to receiving such feedback was stronger among the narcissists with low self-esteem, such that gathering likes and views can be a way of compensating for low self-esteem. Therefore, it was observed that the use of Instagram can be explained by narcissism, and there may be interactions with self-esteem, which gives important insights to the understanding of the problematic use of this social network.

Resumen: El narcisismo involucra características como el exhibicionismo, grandiosidad y necesidad constante de ser admirado. Dichas características apuntan el papel fundamental que este rasgo de personalidad puede tener para explicar el uso del Instagram. Esta red social parece ser un escenario propicio para que los narcisistas puedan autopromoverse y mantener su autoconcepto grandioso y irrealístico, buscando feedback positivo por medio de curtidas, visualizaciones y comentarios. En esta dirección, este estudio tiene por objetivo analizar el rol predictor del narcisismo con relación al uso del Instagram, evaluando el rol moderador de la autoestima. 207 personas usuarias de Instagram participaron del estudio, teniendo en cuenta que narcisistas pasan más tiempo en Instagram, publican más fotos y stories, atribuyendo mucha importancia a recibir feedbacks. Además, se observó que la importancia atribuida a recibir feedbacks fue más elevada entre los narcisistas con baja autoestima, siendo que recibir curtidas y visualizaciones pueden ser una forma de compensación para los bajos niveles en esta variable. Por lo tanto, se observa que el uso del Instagram puede ser explicado por medio del narcisismo, pudiendo haber interacciones con la autoestima, dando importantes claves para entender el uso problemático de esta red social.