Antysemityzm spiskowy. Charakterystyka pojęcia, nowa metoda pomiaru i uwarunkowania psychospołeczne
Conspiratorial Anti-Semitism. Concept Characteristics, New Measurement Method, and Psychosocial Determinants

Summary/Abstract: The article presents new research tool for measurement of conspiratorial anti-Semitism and characteristics of the phenomenon nature. The idea of the method was based on weighing separate aspects of Jews’ activity by the conviction of their secretiveness. The study was carried out on the national sample of adult Poles (N=800). Two groups of explanatory variables were measured: (i) characteristics of the individual social position, and (ii) features of socio-political mentality. The analysis revealed that the research tool was highly reliable (Cronbach’s α coefficient was .91). The subsequent analyses show the method to meet the requirements of theoretical validity. Factor analysis gave highly satisfactory onefactor solution. It was established that conspiratorial anti-Semitism was not directly related to social position. It turned out however that conspiratorial anti-Semitism correlated with negative affect (depression, relative deprivation, resentment, and negative assessment of situation in Poland), social anomie, political alienation. It was also found out that conspiratorial anti-Semitism was accompanied by authoritarianism, xenophobia, and political paranoia. Path analysis showed that conspiratorial anti-Semitism indirectly depended on cultural capital, authoritarianism and political alienation. However its direct and the strongest predictors turned out to be resentment and political paranoia. One can say that conspiratorial anti-Semitism appears as a consequence mainly of “embittered Polish soul” and generalized conspiratorial thinking.

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