February 2025 PMID 40083760

Paranormal belief and conspiracy theory endorsement: variations in adaptive function and positive wellbeing.

Neil Dagnall, Andrew Denovan, Kenneth Graham Drinkwater, Álex Escolà-Gascón

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Peak: 2 in Feb 2025

across 5 sources since Feb 2025

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AI synopsis

What people are saying

Discussions highlight the core findings, with posts emphasizing the roles of paranormal beliefs and conspiracy theories in social identity and wellbeing, using phrases like 'greater levels of positive wellbeing' and 'adaptive functions,' which reflect a thoughtful engagement with the study’s implications and mechanisms.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions support the study’s findings that paranormal beliefs are linked to positive wellbeing and social identity.

InterestHigh interest

Users display high curiosity about the implications, referencing specific aspects like 'meaning in life' and 'adaptive functions.'

EngagementModerate engagement

Comments include reflections on the significance of these findings and how they relate to broader psychological concepts, showing moderate depth.

ImpactModerate impact

There is a recognition that understanding these links could influence future research or practical applications, indicating a modest but meaningful impact.

Abstract in brief

The study found that paranormal beliefs and conspiracy theories are linked to positive wellbeing, but they influence different aspects—paranormal beliefs are associated with greater meaning in life and social identity, whereas conspiracy theories mainly relate to social identity.
Using data collected over three months from 1158 participants, the research showed that paranormal beliefs contribute to better wellbeing by promoting active coping and a positive outlook, with some evidence that they help people find meaning by avoiding problems.
The findings highlight that paranormal beliefs and conspiracy theories serve different psychological functions—paranormal beliefs support positive wellbeing and meaning, while conspiracy theories mainly bolster social identity, often through avoidance coping strategies.]

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All mentions

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THE KELECHI

@thekelechi01 · X

https://t.co/VFRqad1nt1

Aug 22, 2025 · 681 followers View post →

Paranormal Database

@paranormaldatabase.bsky.social · Bluesky

Academic paper - ' #Paranormal belief and #conspiracy theory endorsement: variations in adaptive function and positive wellbeing'... www.frontiersin.org/journals/psy...

Mar 1, 2025 · 1 like View post →

Japan Creepy Tales

@JPCreepyTales · X

https://t.co/KUV4HWiZ0x Specifically, paranormal belief predicted greater levels of positive wellbeing over time (meaning in life and social identity), whereas conspiracy...

Feb 27, 2025 · 17 followers View post →

Frontiers - Psychology

@FrontPsychol · X

New Research: Paranormal belief and conspiracy theory endorsement: variations in adaptive function and positive wellbeing https://t.co/pm7RQsCJj1 #FrontiersIn #Psychology

Feb 27, 2025 · 32,063 followers View post →