Cited by 115Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionMisinformation and Its ImpactsSocial and Intergroup Psychology

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Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories Following Ostracism

Poon, Kai-Tak, Chen, Zhansheng, Wong, Wing-Yan·2020·Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

DOI 10.1177/0146167219898944

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Abstract

Four studies (total valid N = 643) examined whether ostracism increases people’s political conspiracy beliefs through heightened vulnerability and whether self-affirmation intervention counteracts the effect of ostracism on conspiracy beliefs. Compared with their nonostracized counterparts, ostracized participants were more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs related to different political issues (Studies 1–3). Moreover, heightened vulnerability mediated the link between ostracism and conspiracy beliefs (Studies 1–3). Offering ostracized participants an opportunity to reaffirm values important to them could reduce their political conspiracy beliefs (Study 4). Taken together, our findings highlight the crucial role of vulnerability in understanding when and why ostracism increases conspiracy beliefs and how to ameliorate this relationship. Our findings also provide novel insights into how daily interpersonal interactions influence people’s political beliefs and involvement.

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Roels, S. P., Begeer, S., Scheeren, A. M., & van Prooijen, J. (2024) · Cognitive Neuropsychiatry · doi:10.1080/13546805.2024.2399505 · Cited by 3
The Slippery Slope of Perceived Objectification: The Effect of Ostracism on Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury
Poon, K., & Chan, R. S. W. (2025) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.70046 · Cited by 3
Self-citation
Why existential threats increase conspiracy beliefs: Evidence for the mediating roles of agency detection and pattern perception
Mao, J., Zeng, Z., Yang, S., Guo, Y., Wang, B., & van Prooijen, J. (2025) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjop.70016 · Cited by 3
“…(Mashuri & Zaduqisti, 2014), perceive intergroup threats from other countries (Mashuri & Zaduqisti, 2015), perceive higher ostracism threats (Poon et al., 2020), feel their personal image is threatened (Cichocka et al., 2016), experience increased racial discrimination (Crocker et al.,…”
The roles of need frustration and regulatory focus in conspiratorial thinking
Hunsinger, M., & Parker, M. (2025) · Learning and Motivation · doi:10.1016/j.lmot.2025.102188 · Cited by 3
Watching for a snake in the grass: Objectification increases conspiracy beliefs.
Poon, K.-T., Chan, R. S. W., Lai, H.-S., Jiang, Y., & Teng, F. (2024) · British Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjso.12768 · Cited by 4
Self-citation
Leveraging Motivations to Curb Misinformation
Saucier, C. J., Calabrese, C., & Walter, N. (2025) · Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications · doi:10.1027/1864-1105/a000481 · Cited by 3
A Study of Discourse on COVID-19 Vaccines from Conspiracy Communities on Reddit Using Topic Modeling and Sentiment Analysis
Zhou, C., & Zhao, Y. (2025) · Health Communication · doi:10.1080/10410236.2025.2505212 · Cited by 3
“Research indicated that being ostra-cized and marginalized from other communities played a significant role in people joining and remaining within conspiracy communities (Phadke et al., 2021; Poon et al., 2020).”
So Emotional? The Role of Emotions for Young Adults’ Resilience to Disinformation
Kont, J., Bozdağ, Ç., Elving, W. J. L., & Broersma, M. (2026) · Media and Communication · doi:10.17645/mac.11398 · Cited by 3
“Reducing these feelings of exclusion, for example, through self‐affirmation, has been shown to weaken conspiracy theory endorsement (Poon et al., 2020).”
Conspiracies and contagion: Two patterns of COVID-19 related beliefs associated with distinct mental symptomatology
Juárez, F. P.-G., Solomonova, E., Nephtali, E., & Gold, I. (2023) · Psychiatry Research Communications · doi:10.1016/j.psycom.2023.100153 · Cited by 3
Clinging to Certainty: Mental Health Anthropologies and Dualisms in Post-Pandemic Britain
Lloyd, C. E. M. (2025) · Journal of Disability & Religion · doi:10.1080/23312521.2024.2441429 · Cited by 2
“Psychologists recognize that to alleviate stress and regain a sense of control, personal feelings of threat and stress often need to be cognitively projected to a social out-group or power (Poon et al., 2020).”
Echoes of the group: how group conspiracy mentality and fake news shape customer uncertainty and risk perception in a supply chain context
Ghosh, V., & Kabra, G. (2025) · Enterprise Information Systems · doi:10.1080/17517575.2025.2462971 · Cited by 4
“Social media often exacerbates misinformation, particularly about out-groups, as individuals seek to support their in-group identity (Poon, Chen, and Wong 2020).”
The Appraisal Model of Conspiracy Theories (AMCT): Highlighting Core Concepts and Potential Extensions
Pummerer, L., Gkinopoulos, T., Douglas, K. M., Jolley, D., & Sassenberg, K. (2024) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2025.2454118 · Cited by 4
“…from the broader definition not only from us, but one commonly seen in the literature (see e.g. Imhoff et al., 2018; Jolley & Paterson, 2020; Kofta et al., 2020; Nera et al., 2024; Poon et al., 2020) that actions benefiting the conspirators are typically also perceived as “harmful” and “evil.””
Conspiracy theories and self-worth: can self-affirmation help explain the adoption of conspiracy theories?
Saucier, C. J., & Walter, N. (2025) · Human Communication Research · doi:10.1093/hcr/hqaf012 · Cited by 2
EVALUATION OF BELIEF IN COVID-19 MYTHS AND LEVELS OF COVID-19 ANXIETY AND PERCEPTION OF HEALTH IN PREGNANCY
Kakaşçı, Ç. G., & Durmaz, A. (2022) · Karya Journal of Health Science · doi:10.52831/kjhs.1101468 · Cited by 2
The Critical Thinking about Conspiracies (CTAC) Test: Development and ValidationPreprint
O’Mahony, C., Linehan, C., & Murphy, G. (2024) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/xvbh3 · Cited by 2
Connecting Conspiracy Beliefs and Experiences of Social Exclusion
Imhoff, R. (2024) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009408165.014 · Cited by 1
Assessment of the construct of paranoia in a non-clinical sample: validation of the paranoia scale based on a continuum model
فسخودی, م. ا., Arani, A. M., Rudsari, A. B., Mazaheri, M., Shahi, A., Fatollahzadeh, S., & Vahid, M. K. A. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-02821-x · Cited by 1
“In such a way that, both involve this idea that harmful outcomes can be attributed to malevolent agents rather than to more benign causes which both are represent suspicion and can be in paranoia [18].”
Antecedents and consequences of science-related conspiracy beliefs.
Douglas, K. M. (2025) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102191 · Cited by 2
The Critical Thinking About Conspiracies (CTAC) Test: Development and Validation
O'Mahony, C., Murphy, M., Linehan, C., & Murphy, G. (2025) · Applied Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1002/acp.70120 · Cited by 1
Psychological resilience to propaganda in the contemporary information space
Miljković, U. (2025) · Vojno delo · doi:10.5937/vojdelo2504059m · Cited by 1
Mind in Doubt and Isolated Soul: Examining Longitudinal Relationships Between Conspiracy Beliefs Related to COVID ‐19, Interpersonal Trust, Loneliness and Social Exclusion
Godžáková, D., & Šrol, J. (2026) · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/casp.70267 · Cited by 1
La influencia de la necesidad de cierre cognitivo en la creencia en teorías conspirativas genéricas en población militar
Passero, M. T., Tovim, J. B., & Jaume, L. C. (2023) · Revista Científica Arbitrada de la Fundación MenteClara · doi:10.32351/rca.v8.331 · Cited by 1
Experimental manipulation of uncanny feeling does not increase adherence to conspiracy theories
Varet, F., Adam‐Troian, J., Bonetto, É., Akinyemi, A., Lantian, A., Voisin, D., & Delouvée, S. (2023) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.12962 · Cited by 1
“…in explaining CTs was supported by studies that showed greater adherence to CTs among people who experience ostracism (Graeupner & Coman, 2017; Poon, Chen & Wong, 2020), collectivist values (Adam-Troian et al ., 2021), defensive in-group identity, or collective narcissism (Bertin, Marinthe,…”
Result
The Time to Delve Deeper: Understanding the Consequences of Conspiracy Theories and Moving Forward
Poon, K., Fang, Z.-Y., & Li, L. M. W. (2024) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1080/1047840x.2024.2442932 · Cited by 1
“For example, Poon et al. (2020) conducted three studies and found that ostracism increases psychological vulnerability, which in turn increases individuals’ propensity to endorse conspiracy beliefs.”
Self-citation
Effectiveness of the Scientific Reasoning Intervention on Reducing Online Conspiracy Beliefs and Misinformation Engagement: A Study Using the (Mis)Information Game
Georgiou, N., Balzan, R. P., Butler, L. H., van Antwerpen, N., Prike, T., & Delfabbro, P. (2025) · Applied Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1002/acp.70069 · Cited by 1
Awake together: Sociopsychological processes of engagement in conspiracist communitiesPreprint
Wagner‐Egger, P., Bangerter, A., Delouvée, S., & Diéguez, S. (2022) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/b9u45 · Cited by 1
Ostracism in the era of COVID-19: Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intergroup perspectivesPreprint
Gkinopoulos, T., & Galanaki, E. P. (2022) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/45fg9 · Cited by 1
Conspiracies and contagion: COVID-19 related beliefs and associated mental health symptomatologyPreprint
Juárez, F. P.-G., Solomonova, E., Nephtali, E., & Gold, I. (2023) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/8bfxz · Cited by 1
Left out – Feelings of social exclusion incite individuals with high conspiracy mentality to reject complex scientific messagesPreprint
Schnepf, J., Lux, A., Formanowicz, M., & Jin, Z. (2021) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/gwx2z

Authors: Poon, K.-T., Chen, Z., & Wong, W.-Y.
Affiliations: Education University of Hong Kong (HK)
University of Hong Kong (HK)
Corresponding author: Poon, Kai-Tak
ORCID: Poon, Kai-Tak
Chen, Zhansheng
Venue: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2020-01-12
Volume: 46
Issue: 8
Pages: 1234-1246
ISSN: 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
1552-7433
DOI: 10.1177/0146167219898944
OpenAlex: W3000031813
Cited by: 115
References: 90
Citations by year: 2026: 11 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 6
FWCI: 16.12
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: The Hong Kong Research Grants Council’s Early Career Scheme (28603715)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Misinformation and Its Impacts
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords: ostracism, conspiracy beliefs, vulnerability, self-affirmation, political participation, interpersonal rejection, political beliefs
MeSH terms: Adult, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Politics, Psychological Theory, Social Isolation, Trust

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Beliefs in Conspiracy Theories Following Ostracism

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