Ms Grace Ma1
1School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Grace Ma is an emerging psychologist currently undertaking her Masters of Psychology. Grace has demonstrated a keen interest in understanding the complex interplay between personality traits and belief systems. Her recent thesis, "Vulnerable Narcissism and Social Motivations for Conspiracy Belief," has found significant and relevant insights into the psychological mechanisms that link vulnerable narcissism with conspiracy ideation.
Grace's professional experience includes working as a Psychosocial Recovery Coach, a Mental Health Worker, and a Youth Worker for her local council. In her free time, she volunteers as a Phone Crisis Supporter. Grace aims to make a meaningful impact in mental health.
Abstract:
Conspiracy theory beliefs, attributing significant events to the secret machinations of malevolent groups, have far-reaching consequences, particularly in psychiatry, psychology, and law. In Australia, such beliefs have fueled movements against public health measures like COVID-19 vaccinations, and even incited acts of violence, such as the 2022 protests outside the Victorian Parliament. While grandiose narcissism is known to be linked to these beliefs, the role of vulnerable narcissism remains less understood. This study investigates the social motivations—specifically the need for uniqueness and belonging—that mediate the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and conspiracy theory beliefs. Participants (N=4777) completed measures of vulnerable narcissism (M=32.8, SD=8.8), need for uniqueness (M=11.1, SD=3.6), need for belonging (M=30.6, SD=6.2), and conspiracy beliefs (M=3.0, SD=1.0). A parallel mediation model revealed that vulnerable narcissism significantly predicted both need for uniqueness (β=.19, p<.001) and need for belonging (β=.45, p<.001). The need for uniqueness significantly predicted conspiracy beliefs (β=.35, p<.001), while the need for belonging did not (β=-.04, p=.49). The mediation analysis indicated that the need for uniqueness mediated the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and conspiracy beliefs (indirect effect=.07, 95% CI [.03, .11]), while the need for belonging did not (indirect effect=-.02, 95% CI [-.071, .03]). These findings underscore the importance of addressing social motivations in understanding and mitigating conspiracy beliefs, especially in the context of Australian public health and legal systems. Future research should explore additional mediators and employ longitudinal designs to establish causality.