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Transhumanism is a movement that emphasizes the improvement of the human condition by developing technologies and making them widely available. Conspiracy theories regularly refer to the allegedly transhumanist agenda of elites. We hypothesized that belief in conspiracy theories would be related to more unfavorable attitudes toward the transhumanist movement. We examined this association through two pre‐registered studies (based on two French samples, total N after exclusion = 550). We found no evidence of a negative relationship between belief in conspiracy theories and attitudes toward transhumanism. This null result was further corroborated by Bayesian analysis, an equivalence test, and an internal mini meta‐analysis. This work plays a precursory role in understanding attitudes toward an international cultural and intellectual movement that continues to grow in popularity and influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the factors that shape the public's early engagement with preventative health policies in the United States and in France. Our analysis explores the role that ideology and cultural worldviews play in shaping individuals' engagement with COVID‐19 early preventative measures such as mask wearing, stay‐at‐home orders, and vaccine intentions. We find that conservative ideology has an indirect effect on engagement in preventative behaviors through conspiracy theory beliefs in both countries. In addition, building on literature that links cultural worldviews and a wide array of public policies (vaccination campaigns, environmental measures), we find that individuals who have more individualistic and hierarchic worldviews are also less likely to engage in preventative behaviors or plan to get vaccinated. Understanding the public response to early preventative measures is essential to preparing for future health crises, as long‐term health responses such as vaccinations may take months or years to be deployed. Related Articles: Richey, Sean. 2017. "A Birther and a Truther: The Influence of the Authoritarian Personality on Conspiracy Beliefs." Politics & Policy 45(3): 465–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12206. Tyner, Katie, and Farida Jalalzai. 2022. "Women Prime Ministers and COVID‐19: Within‐Case Examinations of New Zealand and Iceland." Politics & Policy 50(6): 1076–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12511. Vince, Joanna. 2022. "A Creeping Crisis When an Urgent Crisis Arises: The Reprioritization of Plastic Pollution Issues during COVID‐19." Politics & Policy 51(1): 26–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12512. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conspiracy Beliefs (CB) are a key vector of violent extremism, radicalism and unconventional political events. So far, social‐psychological research has extensively documented how cognitive, emotional and intergroup factors can promote CB. Evidence also suggests that adherence to CB moves along social class lines: low‐income and low‐education are among the most robust predictors of CB. Yet, the potential role of precarity—the subjective experience of permanent insecurity stemming from objective material strain—in shaping CB remains largely unexplored. In this paper, we propose for the first time a socio‐functional model of CB. We test the hypothesis that precarity could foster increased CB because it undermines trust in government and the broader political 'elites'. Data from the World Value Survey (n = 21,650; Study 1, electoral CB) and from representative samples from polls conducted in France (n = 1760, Study 2a, conspiracy mentality) and Italy (n = 2196, Study 2b, COVID‐19 CB), corroborate a mediation model whereby precarity is directly and indirectly associated with lower trust in authorities and higher CB. In addition, these links are robust to adjustment on income, self‐reported SES and education. Considering precarity allows for a truly social‐psychological understanding of CB as the by‐product of structural issues (e.g. growing inequalities). Results from our socio‐functional model suggest that implementing solutions at the socio‐economic level could prove efficient in fighting CB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]