TY - JOUR

T1 - Social cohesion and the inclination towards conspiracy mentality

T2 - comparing Germany and the Visegrad countries

AU - Hartz, Carina

AU - Deutsch, Franziska

AU - Boehnke, Klaus

AU - Klicperova-Baker, Martina

AU - Brezina, Ivan

AU - Šrol, Jakub

AU - Čavojová, Vladimíra K.

AU - Jakab, Zoltán

AU - Przybylski, Wojciech

AU - Maftean, Miles R.

AU - Turska-Kawa, Agnieszka

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - As a relatively stable concept, social cohesion remains a prominent focus of current public discourse. One hope is to find possible solutions or coping strategies for current crises and unstable times. Enhancing social cohesion is one suggestion. A shift to the political right in many European governments, growing support for conspiracy narratives, and anti-democratic tendencies are increasing the urgency for action. The research presented in this article examines the role of social cohesion as a buffer against ill-being and conspiracy mentality. A moderated mediation model was tested in a representative survey study (N > 5,342) in Germany and the Visegrad countries. Results suggest that greater perceived social cohesion is associated with lower levels of detached uncertainty and, in turn, a lower inclination towards conspiracy beliefs. There are differences between countries: Germany, where social cohesion is relatively strong and the level of conspiracy mentality is lower, emerges as profoundly different from Poland, where the conspiracy mentality is much stronger. In Poland, the importance of perceived social cohesion in predicting conspiracy beliefs is weaker than in all other countries. Different religiosity levels in the five countries will likely be the basis for cross-national differences.

AB - As a relatively stable concept, social cohesion remains a prominent focus of current public discourse. One hope is to find possible solutions or coping strategies for current crises and unstable times. Enhancing social cohesion is one suggestion. A shift to the political right in many European governments, growing support for conspiracy narratives, and anti-democratic tendencies are increasing the urgency for action. The research presented in this article examines the role of social cohesion as a buffer against ill-being and conspiracy mentality. A moderated mediation model was tested in a representative survey study (N > 5,342) in Germany and the Visegrad countries. Results suggest that greater perceived social cohesion is associated with lower levels of detached uncertainty and, in turn, a lower inclination towards conspiracy beliefs. There are differences between countries: Germany, where social cohesion is relatively strong and the level of conspiracy mentality is lower, emerges as profoundly different from Poland, where the conspiracy mentality is much stronger. In Poland, the importance of perceived social cohesion in predicting conspiracy beliefs is weaker than in all other countries. Different religiosity levels in the five countries will likely be the basis for cross-national differences.

KW - alienation

KW - conspiracy mentality

KW - COVID-19

KW - Germany

KW - Social cohesion

KW - Visegrad countries

KW - well-being

KW - Sociology

KW - Politics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105007001917&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/25739638.2025.2511093

DO - 10.1080/25739638.2025.2511093

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:105007001917

JO - Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe

JF - Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe

SN - 2573-9638

ER -