Loneliness trajectories over three decades are associated with conspiracist worldviews in midlife

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; p. 3629
• Main Authors: Bierwiaczonek, Kinga, Fluit, Sam, von Soest, Tilmann, Hornsey, Matthew J., Kunst, Jonas R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 29.04.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 706/689/477/2811; 706/689/522; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult; Anxiety; Child development; Conspiracy; Endorsements; Female; Growth curves; Growth models; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Loneliness; Loneliness - psychology; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental depression; Middle age; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Norway; Psychopathology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Social isolation; Young Adult; Norway
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47113-x

In the age of misinformation, conspiracy theories can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and society. Social and emotional experiences throughout the life course, such as loneliness, may be associated with a tendency to hold conspiracist worldviews. Here, we present results from a population-based sample of Norwegians followed for almost three decades, from adolescence into midlife ( N  = 2215). We examine participants’ life trajectories of loneliness using latent growth curve modeling. We show that people reporting high levels of loneliness in adolescence, and those who experience increasing loneliness over the life course, are more likely to endorse conspiracy worldviews in midlife. Here, the authors show that elevated loneliness in adolescence and increasing loneliness over three decades is associated with heightened conspiracy beliefs in midlife.