A systematic review and meta-analysis of discrepancies between logged and self-reported digital media use.

There is widespread public and academic interest in understanding the uses and effects of digital media. Scholars primarily use self-report measures of the quantity or duration of media use as proxies for more objective measures, but the validity of these self-reports remains unclear. Advancements in data collection techniques have produced a collection of studies indexing both self-reported and log-based measures.

Does Perceived Lack of Control Lead to Conspiracy Theory Beliefs? Findings from an online MTurk sample.

It is widely believed that conspiracy theory beliefs are the product of perceived lack of control. However, to date there is mixed evidence, at best, to support this claim. We consider the reasons why conspiracy theory beliefs do not appear to be based in any straightforward way on control beliefs, interrogating existing findings and presenting new data that call the relationship into question.

COVID-19 and the 5G Conspiracy Theory: Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data.

Background: Since the beginning of December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread rapidly around the world, which has led to increased discussions across online platforms. These conversations have also included various conspiracies shared by social media users. Amongst them, a popular theory has linked 5G to the spread of COVID-19, leading to misinformation and the burning of 5G towers in the United Kingdom.

Belief in conspiracy theories: The predictive role of schizotypy, Machiavellianism, and primary psychopathy.

A conspiracy theory refers to an alternative explanation of an event involving a conspirator plot organised by powerful people or organisations. Belief in conspiracy theories is related to negative societal outcomes such as poor medical decisions and a decrease in prosocial behaviour. Given these negative outcomes, researchers have explored predictors of belief in conspiracy theories in an attempt to understand and possibly manage these beliefs.

Pathways to conspiracy: The social and linguistic precursors of involvement in Reddit's conspiracy theory forum.

Many individuals who engage with conspiracy theories come to do so through a combination of individual and social factors. The interaction between these factors is challenging to study using traditional experimental designs. Reddit.

Belief in conspiracy theories: Basic principles of an emerging research domain.

In this introduction to the Special Issue on conspiracy theories as a social psychological phenomenon, we describe how this emerging research domain has developed over the past decade and distill four basic principles that characterize belief in conspiracy theories. Specifically, conspiracy theories are as they have a real impact on people's health, relationships, and safety; they are in that belief in them is widespread across times, cultures, and social settings; they are given that negative emotions and not rational deliberations cause conspiracy beliefs; and they are as conspiracy beliefs are closely associated with psychological motivations underlying intergroup conflict. We then discuss future research and possible policy interventions in this growing area of enquiry.

Using a natural experiment to estimate the electoral consequences of terrorist attacks.

This study investigates the consequences of terrorist attacks for political behavior by leveraging a natural experiment in Spain. We study eight attacks against civilians, members of the military, and police officers perpetrated between 1989 and 1997 by Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), a Basque terrorist organization that was active between 1958 and 2011. We use nationally and regionally representative surveys that were being fielded when the attacks occurred to estimate the causal effect of terrorist violence on individuals' intent to participate in democratic elections as well as on professed support for the incumbent party.

The spread of true and false news online.

We investigated the differential diffusion of all of the verified true and false news stories distributed on Twitter from 2006 to 2017. The data comprise ~126,000 stories tweeted by ~3 million people more than 4.5 million times.

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories.

What psychological factors drive the popularity of , which explain important events as secret plots by powerful and malevolent groups? What are the psychological consequences of adopting these theories? We review the current research and find that it answers the first of these questions more thoroughly than the second. Belief in conspiracy theories appears to be driven by motives that can be characterized as epistemic (understanding one's environment), existential (being safe and in control of one's environment), and social (maintaining a positive image of the self and the social group). However, little research has investigated the consequences of conspiracy belief, and to date, this research does not indicate that conspiracy belief fulfills people's motivations.

Skin permeation and antioxidant efficacy of topically applied resveratrol.

The permeation of resveratrol was assessed by in vitro and in vivo experiments 24 h after topical administration. The in vitro profile of resveratrol was assessed by Raman spectroscopy. Human skin permeation was analysed in vivo by the tape stripping method with the progressive removal of the stratum corneum layers using adhesive tape strips.

The Unifying Moral Dyad: Liberals and Conservatives Share the Same Harm-Based Moral Template.

Do moral disagreements regarding specific issues (e.g., patriotism, chastity) reflect deep cognitive differences (i.

Threat, prejudice and the impact of the riots in England.

This paper examines how a major outbreak of rioting in England in 2011 impacted on prejudice toward three minority groups in Britain: Muslims, Black British and East Europeans. We test whether the riots mobilized individuals by increasing feelings of realistic and symbolic threat and ultimately prejudice, or whether the riots galvanized those already concerned about minorities, thus strengthening the relationship between threat and prejudice. We conducted three national surveys - before, after and one year on from the riots - and show that after the riots individuals were more likely to perceive threats to society's security and culture, and by extension express increased prejudice toward Black British and East European minorities.

Design of solid lipid nanoparticles for caffeine topical administration.

Context: Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are drug carriers possessing numerous features useful for topical application. A copious scientific literature outlined their ability as potential delivery systems for lipophilic drugs, while the entrapment of a hydrophilic drug inside the hydrophobic matrix of SLN is often difficult to obtain.

Objective: To develop SLN intended for loading caffeine (SLN-CAF) and to evaluate the permeation profile of this substance through the skin once released from the lipid nanocarriers.

The myth of harmless wrongs in moral cognition: Automatic dyadic completion from sin to suffering.

When something is wrong, someone is harmed. This hypothesis derives from the theory of dyadic morality, which suggests a moral cognitive template of wrongdoing agent and suffering patient (i.e.

The effects of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories on vaccination intentions.

The current studies investigated the potential impact of anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs, and exposure to anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, on vaccination intentions. In Study 1, British parents completed a questionnaire measuring beliefs in anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and the likelihood that they would have a fictitious child vaccinated. Results revealed a significant negative relationship between anti-vaccine conspiracy beliefs and vaccination intentions.

The role of conspiracist ideation and worldviews in predicting rejection of science.

Background: Among American Conservatives, but not Liberals, trust in science has been declining since the 1970's. Climate science has become particularly polarized, with Conservatives being more likely than Liberals to reject the notion that greenhouse gas emissions are warming the globe. Conversely, opposition to genetically-modified (GM) foods and vaccinations is often ascribed to the political Left although reliable data are lacking.

"What about building 7?" A social psychological study of online discussion of 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Recent research into the psychology of conspiracy belief has highlighted the importance of belief systems in the acceptance or rejection of conspiracy theories. We examined a large sample of conspiracist (pro-conspiracy-theory) and conventionalist (anti-conspiracy-theory) comments on news websites in order to investigate the relative importance of promoting alternative explanations vs. rejecting conventional explanations for events.

Beliefs in conspiracy theories and the need for cognitive closure.

An important component of conspiracy theories is how they influence, and are influenced by, the evaluation of potential evidence. Some individuals may be more open minded regarding certain explanations for events whereas others may seek closure and thus cut off a conspiracy explanation. Two studies examined the relationship between the need for cognitive closure (NFCC), levels of belief in real world conspiracy theories, and the attribution of conspiracy theories to explain events.

Stability, transdermal penetration, and cutaneous effects of ascorbic acid and its derivatives.

Topically applied antioxidants exert their benefits by offering protection from damaging free radicals and over-the-counter cosmeceuticals incorporating antioxidants are among the most popular anti-aging products available. One potent antioxidant of particular note, vitamin C, has been extensively utilized because it possesses a variety of other cutaneous benefits including photoprotection from UV A & B, neocollagenesis, inhibition of melanogenesis and improvement of a variety of inflammatory skin disorders. However, the instability of this water-soluble vitamin, together with difficulties associated with its topical delivery, has presented issues for the formulation chemist.

Understanding libertarian morality: the psychological dispositions of self-identified libertarians.

Libertarians are an increasingly prominent ideological group in U.S. politics, yet they have been largely unstudied.

Benefiting from misfortune: when harmless actions are judged to be morally blameworthy.

Dominant theories of moral blame require an individual to have caused or intended harm. However, the current four studies demonstrate cases where no harm is caused or intended, yet individuals are nonetheless deemed worthy of blame. Specifically, individuals are judged to be blameworthy when they engage in actions that enable them to benefit from another's misfortune (e.

Conspiracist ideation in Britain and Austria: evidence of a monological belief system and associations between individual psychological differences and real-world and fictitious conspiracy theories.

Despite evidence of widespread belief in conspiracy theories, there remains a dearth of research on the individual difference correlates of conspiracist ideation. In two studies, we sought to overcome this limitation by examining correlations between conspiracist ideation and a range of individual psychological factors. In Study 1, 817 Britons indicated their agreement with conspiracist ideation concerning the July 7, 2005 (7/7), London bombings, and completed a battery of individual difference scales.

Does it take one to know one? Endorsement of conspiracy theories is influenced by personal willingness to conspire.

We advance a new account of why people endorse conspiracy theories, arguing that individuals use the social-cognitive tool of projection when making social judgements about others. In two studies, we found that individuals were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories if they thought they would be willing, personally, to participate in the alleged conspiracies. Study 1 established an association between conspiracy beliefs and personal willingness to conspire, which fully mediated a relationship between Machiavellianism and conspiracy beliefs.

Liberals and conservatives rely on different sets of moral foundations.

How and why do moral judgments vary across the political spectrum? To test moral foundations theory (J. Haidt & J. Graham, 2007; J.

Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers.

Structural MRIs of the brains of humans with extensive navigation experience, licensed London taxi drivers, were analyzed and compared with those of control subjects who did not drive taxis. The posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were significantly larger relative to those of control subjects. A more anterior hippocampal region was larger in control subjects than in taxi drivers.