Yet another timely study highlighting the importance of sleep.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology have examined the link between sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs in two studies involving over 1,000 participants.
Their findings, published this week in the
Journal of Health Psychology, indicate that individuals with poorer sleep quality over the past month were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories, particularly after exposure to conspiratorial content.
The second of the two studies explored the underlying psychological mechanisms that explain the link between poor sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs. The results showed that both poor sleep quality and insomnia were positively linked to the endorsement of conspiracy theories, with depression emerging as a mechanism.
The research team leader, Dr Daniel Jolley, Assistant Professor in Social Psychology, commented
Sleep is crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning. Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia - factors that also contribute to conspiracy beliefs. Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the spread of conspiratorial thinking.The researchers concluded that sleep-focused interventions are needed to mitigate susceptibility to conspiracy theories.
By addressing sleep quality, individuals may be better equipped to critically evaluate information and resist misleading narratives.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13591053251320598https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/poor-sleep-may-fuel-conspiracy-beliefs-according-to-new-researchhttps://www.news-medical.net/news/2...ase-susceptibility-to-conspiracy-beliefs.aspx
(20min delay)