The Dark (and Bright) Side of Identity: How National Narcissism is Linked to Belief in Conspiracy Theories

Issue 125: Reflections on Independence day, national narcissism, and conspiracy theories

As we approach the July 4th holiday, a time when Americans reflect on the nation's history and celebrate by hosting barbeques and blowing things up, I’ve been thinking about what Independence Day means to me and also revisiting a study about how excess nationalism can be detrimental. A study from Jay’s lab, led by Dr. Anni Sternisko suggests that excess nationalism, or national narcissism could spur the belief in and spread of conspiracy theories.

The trait, national narcissism, is described as “the belief in the greatness of one’s nation, and that one’s nation is exceptional compared to others”. The study examined an internationally diverse population of over 50,000 people in 56 countries and found that as individuals become more nationally narcissistic, they are more likely to believe in and share conspiracy theories about COVID-19.

A collage of Narcissus, Caravaggio (The Atlantic)

Previous research had found that belief in conspiracy theories tends to be related to a person’s desire t…