1. Conspiracy beliefs in post-communist Europe : the role of religiosity, political ideology, and media trust among unvaccinated individualsKatarzyna Bałandynowicz-Panfil, Malgorzata Łosiewicz, Ana Slavec, Janez Štebe, Șerban Olah, Győző Pék, Adrienn Kaszás-Nagy, Mojca Šoštarič, Magdalena Iwanowska, 2026, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This study explores the sociocultural and psycho ‑ logical determinants of conspiracy theory beliefs (CTBs) among unvaccinated individuals in three post-communist countries: Poland, Romania, and Slovenia. The goal is to understand how religiosity, political orientation, media trust, and fear of COVID-19 shape conspiratorial thinking in societies with legacies of institutional distrust and ideological polarization. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The central research problem concerns the contextual drivers of CTBs in post-communist Eu ‑ rope, where transitional experiences challenge universal explanatory models. The study draws on data from an online survey of 1,641 unvaccinated individuals collected in 2021. Key constructs-including conspiracy beliefs, trust in institutions and media, religiosity, and political orientation-were measured using validated scales and analyzed through multiple regression models. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: The argument integrates histori ‑ cal and structural factors with individual-level predictors of CTBs. It distinguishes between private religiosity and religious practice, analyzes media trust in frag ‑ mented information environments, and contextualizes political ideology within the region’s post-authoritarian trajectories. The analysis emphasizes how fear, belief, and epistemic orientation intersect in shaping vaccine-related conspiracies. RESEARCH RESULTS: Findings indicate that higher private religiosity, left-wing political orientation, low fear of COVID-19, and reliance on digital or informal information sources are positively associated with CTBs. In contrast, trust in traditional media, trust in medical professionals, and participation in organized religious practices predict lower endorsement of conspiracies. Slovenia and Poland show the highest CTB levels. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: CTBs in post-communist societies reflect both historical legacies and current epistemic vulnerabilities. Addressing them requires context-sensitive strategies that rebuild institutional trust, support civic engagement, and recognize the social functions of structured belief systems. The study contributes to a better understanding of misinformation dynamics in transitional democracies.
Ključne besede: conspiracy theories, religiosity, political ideology, media trust, post-communist Europe
Objavljeno v RUP: 05.05.2026; Ogledov: 146; Prenosov: 7
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2. THE RELIGIOUS AND MENTAL HEALTH DETERMINANTS OF THE COVID-19’S FEAR IN THE CEE COUNTRIESSerban Olah, Katarzyna Bałandynowicz-Panfil, Janez Štebe, Mojca Šoštarič Zvonar, Ana Slavec, Adrienn Kaszás, Győző Pék, Małgorzata Łosiewicz, Magdalena Iwanowska, 2024, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: The research analyses the relationship between fear and religiosity, particularly focusing on religious habits and intrinsic religiosity in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. A total number of 2212 questionnaires have been collected in Romania, Poland, Slovenia and Hungary in 2021 on the non-vaccinated population. The questionnaire covers topics such as vaccination, religiosity and socio-demographics, and includes the DASS 21 psychological scale, which measures depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Furthermore, the questionnaire incorporated a specific question regarding the fear of SARS-CoV-2 virus. The findings show that the intrinsic religiosity, age, stress, anxiety and exposure to the news from the traditional media or to the information coming from professional sources seem to increase the degree of fear during the pandemic context. The study yields significant implications for understanding the complex interplay of factors shaping the vaccination attitudes of this group, as well as how they obtain information. This may contribute to developing more effective communication channels for people with passive strategies for coping with fear and anxiety. The need to seek information in times of uncertainty and attitudes that indicate a higher level of intimate religiosity can be leveraged to build more effective coping strategies for unexpected external events or situations that cause fear and anxiety. This is important in light of the ongoing development of Central and Eastern European countries and their specific social and economic background.
Ključne besede: religiosity, pandemic, DASS 21, socio-economic, conditions
Objavljeno v RUP: 23.04.2024; Ogledov: 4804; Prenosov: 66
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