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According to the Two-Component, Socio-Epistemic Framework (Pierre, 2020), conspiracy beliefs arise through the loss of epistemic trust (ET) in the transmission of knowledge by social authorities, leading to a general susceptibility to belief in misinformation. In a recent systematic review of studies investigating conspiracy beliefs during the COVID-19 pandemic, strong associations with disruptions of ET in social authorities are found in multinational samples, e.g. with mistrust in scientists, health organizations or politicians (van Mulukom et al., 2022). In previous studies, it has been found that people with a strong conspiracy mentality were generally less inclined to regard epistemically authoritative sources as trustworthy (Imhoff et al., 2018). On the other hand, under the Gullible Conspiracist Hypothesis, empirical evidence has been collected that disruptions of epistemic trust in terms of an excessively strong credulity (e.g. belief in bullshit statements or supernatural phenomena) can also have a reinforcing influence on conspiracy beliefs (van Prooijen et al., 2019; 2022). Recently, a new instrument has been developed to operationalize ET, the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ; Campbell et al., 2021). In our study, we aim to examine whether the ETMCQ subscales operationalizing disruptions of ET (mistrust/credulity) can be used to identify contributing factors to the propensity for conspiracy beliefs. A previous study showed significant correlations between conspiracy mentality and disruptions of ET measured with the ETMCQ (Tanzer et al., 2021). In our study, first, we will conduct a replication of the identified relationships between epistemic mistrust/credulity and conspiracy mentality; based on this, we investigate whether the ETMCQ subscales provide additive effects on conspiracy mentality, by also including other influencing factors that have shown to be associated to conspiracy beliefs in several studies. Exploratively, we additionally want to examine whether the influence of one ETMCQ subscale (e.g., credulity) on conspiracy mentality is mediated by the other subscale (e.g., mistrust).

Recent mentalization theory has given greater attention to the social contexts of mentalizing, whereupon it has been hypothesized that limited mentalizing on societal levels (e.g. when psychic equivalence becomes institutional) may lead to the reinforcement of prejudices against individuals perceived as "the other", especially in contexts of threat (Asen et al., 2019). Along with this hypothesis, a representative population survey in Germany has revealed, by using a screening instrument, that limited mentalizing is associated with increased group-focused enmity (e.g., xenophobia, racism) (Krott & Reininger, 2021). Besides, empirical hints to potential links between mentalizing and outgroup-related attitudes can also be derived from other studies: In several fMRI studies, neuronal networks associated with mentalizing (e.g. VMPFC, DMPFC, OFC) are found to influence race-related assumptions (Mattan et al., 2018). In several cross-sectional studies, low levels of perspective-taking abilities are associated with prejudices against racial or ethnic outgroup members (Todd & Galinsky 2014); longitudinal and experimental designs also show reinforcing effects of limited perspective-taking on anti-immigrant attitudes (e.g. Miklikowska et al., 2017; Shih et al., 2009). Within a mentalization-based framework, perspective-taking can be understood as a crucial subdimension of mentalizing (Luyten et al. 2020). Building on these previous findings, the aim of our study is to investigate whether limited mentalizing capacities can contribute to the reinforcement of xenophobia.

In empirical pilot projects in Germany, by means of querying right-wing oriented adolescents in the Adult Attachment Interview, it was shown that insecure attachment (especially attachment avoidance) is related to more ethnocentric and xenophobic attitudes, which the authors explain by limited socioemotional skills (Hopf, 1998). In the meantime, a multitude of studies has replicated the links between attachment styles and negative attitudes against immigrants or members of racial/ethnic outgroups, and in this framework mentalizing is considered a possible mediating variable for the social effects of attachment styles (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2022). In a recent review, evidence is summarized that the effects of attachment styles on prejudices are mediated by the capacities to take the perspective of and place one´s trust in others (Carnelley & Boag, 2019). These mediating factors are closely related to mentalizing capacities, which are defined as an umbrella concept of understanding the self and others in terms of intentional mental states (see Luyten et al. 2020). In recent studies, it has been found that, in general, the psychological effects of attachment can (partly) be mediated by mentalizing capacities (e.g. Brugnera et al., 2020; Hayden et al., 2019; Nazzaro et al., 2017; Parada et al., 2021). Building on the mentalization framework and the socio-psychological findings described above, we hypothesize that mentalizing capacities mediate the effects of attachment on xenophobia. We are particularly interested in which specific aspects of mentalizing mediate the relationship.

Background and aims Epistemic trust involves social judgements about the reliability, relevance and value of information conveyed by others. Developmental psychopathologists have recently proposed that entrenched epistemic mistrust, which may be partly rooted in adverse childhood experiences, is a key factor in the emergence of mental disorders. This theory, which is consistent with developmental data, has significant social and clinical implications. Empirical research is now required to develop a better understanding of epistemic trust, its developmental trajectory, and its possible relationship to wider social-political phenomena. We have recently created and validated a questionnaire assessing individuals’ epistemic stance (ES) – the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ) (Campbell, Tanzer et al, 2021). In two studies (Study 1, n = 500; Study 2, n = 705), we examined the psychometric properties of the ETMCQ and the relationship between EMTCQ scores and exposure to adverse childhood experiences, mental health symptoms, attachment, mentalizing and general self-efficacy. The purpose of the currently proposed study is to extend the findings reported in the previous study (Campbell, Tanzer et al, 2021) by measuring epistemic stance in relation to borderline symptomology, perceived levels of social support, perceived self agency and self-awareness, exposure to adversity in childhood and adolescence, attachment, and interoception.