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How Economic Inequality Fuels Collective Nostalgia: The Mediating Role of Conspiracy Beliefs

Cai-Yu Tian et al.

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology2026https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909261419530article
AJG 1
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

This research investigates the relationship between perceived economic inequality and collective nostalgia in China, proposing that inequality perceptions foster longing for an idealized past, with conspiracy beliefs mediating this process. A pilot study ( N = 319) revealed a significant association between perceived economic inequality and collective nostalgia. Study 1 ( N = 320) confirmed the mediating role of conspiracy beliefs, while Study 2 ( N = 300) replicated these findings. Study 3 ( N = 360) experimentally manipulated perceived economic inequality, showing that higher inequality perceptions increased collective nostalgia, with conspiracy beliefs mediating this effect. Together, these findings provide a novel theoretical perspective on how perceived economic inequality shapes collective emotional responses, offering broader implications for understanding public reactions to inequality in contemporary societies.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909261419530

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@article{cai-yu2026,
  title        = {{How Economic Inequality Fuels Collective Nostalgia: The Mediating Role of Conspiracy Beliefs}},
  author       = {Cai-Yu Tian et al.},
  journal      = {Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/18344909261419530},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.