National identity and science. Attitudes, threats and potential consequences.
Can national identity impact the perception of science? In an article published in Nature Reviews Psychology, researchers from SWPS University and the University of Kent analyze the impact of national identity on health policy, attitudes towards immunization, and environmental policy.
People seek belongingness to groups that they evaluate positively and identify with. These groups might be based on social networks one interacts with frequently (such as colleagues at the workplace or fans of the same sports team) or be associated with abstract categories (such as one’s nationality or ethnicity).
Strong group identity can be beneficial not only for individuals but also for the whole community. However, when group identity is motivated by frustrated psychological needs, such as low self-worth or low self-regulation, it can manifest as collective narcissism — a belief that one’s group is exceptional and deserves special treatment. The concept of collective narcissism is most frequently applied to the national context and is called “national narcissism”.
National narcissism and personal wellbeing
Many previous studies indicate that national narcissism (typically assessed using a self-report scale in which participants are asked to indicate to what extent they agree with statements such as: “My nation deserves special treatment”) increases following threats to personal needs. For example, study participants from the United States, who were asked to recall a negative situation in which they did not have control over their lives, reported higher level of national narcissism compared to those who were asked to recall a negative yet controllable situation.
This type of collective narcissism concentrates on the protection of the image of one’s group, especially when it is threatened. The need to uphold and protect national image may outweigh the concern for other members of the group and result in negative consequences in the long run.
An analysis of available literature on this topic, published in Nature Reviews Psychology by Professor Aleksandra Cisłak-Wójcik from SWPS University and Professor Aleksandra Cichocka from the University of Kent, explains how national narcissism impacts the perception of politics and science, in particular the attitudes towards health and ecology.
Both the climate change and public health crises are characterized by tension between global goals and local initiatives. People’s attitudes towards these phenomena are usually influenced by national identity
National narcissism and attitudes towards healthcare
According to the authors, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the United States, person’s high in national narcissism were ready to accept negative health-related consequences of undertesting, because mass testing might have revealed a higher number of infections, which could diminish the country’s image by suggesting that it was not excelling in curbing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Moreover, those higher in national narcissism in the US were also more likely to support the introduction of an US-developed vaccine ahead of other countries, even if that required promoting and selling the vaccine without due diligence.
"These outcomes can be explained by the same underlying mechanism: national image concerns," comments Professor Cisłak-Wójcik.
Who believes in conspiracy theories?
The tendency to support policies, which enhance the national image at the expense of compatriots’ well-being, might be exacerbated by conspiracy beliefs about outgroups and other actors.
Research carried out in Poland and in the UK indicates that national narcissism was positively related to the endorsement of conspiracy beliefs regarding vaccination. It was reflected in claims such as: “Pharmaceutical companies, scientists and academics work together to cover up the dangers of vaccines” or “The flu vaccine allows the government to monitor the elderly through the implantation of tiny tracking devices”.
Similarly, a study analyzing data from 56 countries found a robust positive effect of national narcissism on endorsement of conspiracy beliefs concerning the COVID-19 pandemic (reflected by claims such as: “The coronavirus is a bioweapon engineered by scientists” or “The coronavirus is a hoax invented by interest groups for financial gains”).
Concern about the environment versus concern about image
Recent research results indicate that in the environmental domain, image concerns manifest in willingness to oppose pro-environmental policies and support anti-environmental policies.
This is likely because environmental actions are often perceived as being imposed by powerful groups (other nations or international organizations). Resisting these alleged influences conveys the sense of being independent and autonomous, even if it does not serve national interests in the long run.
For example, national narcissism is associated with support for actions that undermine both climate change mitigation efforts, such as subsidies for the coal industry, and opposition to policies like the Green Deal, which aim to mitigate climate change on the global scale.
National narcissism is also linked with climate science skepticism, reflected by disbelief in human-caused climate change, which are illustrated by opinions such as: “The claim that the climate is changing due to emissions from fossil fuels is a hoax perpetrated by corrupt scientists who wish to spend more taxpayer money on climate research."
Addressing the current challenges of humankind such as climate change, rapidly proliferating infectious diseases, and global inequalities requires us to overcome the detrimental effects of national narcissism. Due to the societal threats that national narcissism carries, continuous monitoring of this phenomenon within nations is required. Education efforts, which could help to avoid or minimize long-term harm to health and climate policies, are equally needed. Finally, more work is required to understand the underpinnings of national narcissism among members of nations or ethnic groups.