Kuba Krys

Conspiracy beliefs vary substantially across countries and regions, yet the ecological factors underlying this variation remain largely unexplored. Drawing on behavioral immune system theory, which suggests that pathogen threat can heighten vigilance toward potential dangers, we examined whether pathogen prevalence predicts conspiracy beliefs. Study 1 analyzed four cross-national datasets (20-32 countries) and found that conspiracy beliefs were higher in countries with greater historical pathogen prevalence. Study 2 tested this relationship in a preregistered study using a larger sample (N = 15,503 from 55 countries) and found that historical pathogen prevalence predicted higher levels of conspiracy beliefs. Study 3 extended these findings to the US state level using data from 123,781 participants across 50 states. Finally, Study 4 (N = 493) experimentally manipulated perceived pathogen prevalence and found causal effects on generic and vaccine-related conspiracy beliefs. These findings extend behavioral immune system research by relating pathogen-rich ecologies to contemporary conspiracy thinking.

Contemporary theories of emotion emphasize the dual role of emotions as both personal experiences and communicative signals during social interactions. However, the impact of macro-level societal structures on emotional expression remains underexplored. This study investigates the expression-experience discrepancy for self-reported emotions across nations, focusing on how societal development relates to this discrepancy, which captures expressivity. Using meta-analysis and multilevel modeling with a multinational sample ( N _sample = 12,549, k _nation = 48; Study 1), we assessed the directions and variabilities in the frequency of expression of both positive and negative emotions, relative to the frequency of experiencing them. Negative emotions were more likely to be under-expressed. Further analyses revealed that societal trust, system quality and fairness, and the human development index significantly predicted the size of these discrepancies. Surprisingly, these effects were not associated with traditional cultural dimensions such as individualism versus collectivism, providing new insights into the social functionality of emotions from a macro perspective. These findings were replicated in an extended multinational sample ( N _sample = 19,690, k _nation = 65; Study 2). Our findings highlight the importance of considering structural and societal factors in emotion research and provide a foundation for future explorations into the relations between cultural contexts and the expression of emotions.

This research investigates the mechanisms and drivers of worldwide happiness. We present a new theory describing two pathways to societal happiness: the individualistic pathway (‘let citizens take care of their own happiness, which will build societal happiness’) and the communitarian pathway (‘society creates a context in which individuals enhance the happiness of those around them’). Using data from 97,220 citizens across sixty-six countries, this study empirically analyzes over two hundred mechanisms and identifies fifty-six that are significantly associated with happiness. These mechanisms are organized based on their alignment with the individualistic or communitarian pathways, or both. We synthesize these findings by categorizing the fifty-six mechanisms into five drivers of happiness: ‘society allowing for individual emancipation’, ‘fostering Enlightenment ideas and institutions’, ‘satisfying basic human needs’, ‘providing effective governing and security institutions’, and ‘favoring close in-group ties’. These results demonstrate that the communitarian pathway to societal happiness significantly outperforms the individualistic pathway.

Public evaluation of those in power is fundamental to societal stability. However, how people judge powerholders depends on their positions within the socioeconomic hierarchy. Drawing on two large-scale cross-cultural studies encompassing 160 samples from 80 cultures, we examined whether socioeconomic status (SES) shapes how people appraise the motive of institutional powerholders. Though scepticism toward powerholders was widespread across the socioeconomic spectrum, higher-SES individuals consistently attributed lesser self-orientation and greater other-orientation to powerholders. In less corrupt societies, perceptions of powerholders were more favourable, and SES-based differences were more pronounced, indicating that the quality of national governance matters as well. In contrast, in highly corrupt national contexts, class-based distinctions largely disappeared. These findings suggest that viewing authorities as serving the common good may be both a privilege of one’s socioeconomic position and a privilege of living in a well-governed society. The results carry important implications for institutional legitimacy, social mobility, and the possible psychological foundations of populist movements.

This data paper presents a dataset, of 12,361 observations compiled from the Happiness Meanders project, which explores cultural variations in individual and family well-being, ideal and actual happiness, emotional experiences and expressions, and cultural models of selfhood across 48 countries. Participants were recruited through academic networks. Data were collected using standardised scales, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Interdependent Happiness Scale, the Cultural Models of Selfhood Scale, and the Emotional Experience and Expression inspired by Affect Valuation Index. The dataset underwent thorough technical validation, including checks for variable consistency, handling missing data, and identifying potential response biases. A filter for data quality was applied, with potentially unreliable data flagged for exclusion. This dataset offers a valuable resource for examining cultural influences on emotional dynamics (frequence of experience and expression), individual and family oriented evaluations of happiness, ideal and actual evaluation of happiness, cultural models of selfhood, and can support further research in cross-cultural psychology and related social sciences.

An important question in cognitive and evolutionary psychology is how the human mind anticipates the future and copes with stress and risk of disease. The parasite-stress model suggests that many patterns of human behavior and thought are adaptations to varying levels of exposure to parasites and pathogens. A growing body of health psychology research shows a link between positive future thinking and resiliency to various forms of disease. In this study, we investigate the link between historical pathogen prevalence in countries and individuals' perception of the future of humanity. We surveyed 18,981 participants across 68 nations, examining their beliefs about how well humanity will be doing 1000 years from now compared to the present. We found that individuals residing in regions with higher historical disease risk tend to have more positive views about the future of humanity than individuals residing in areas with lower historical disease risk. The difference could not be attributed to several other stress-inducing factors, such as climate stress, population density or objective or subjective socioeconomic indicators. This research contributes to a growing body of evidence demonstrating how disease risk shapes human cognition and encourages future exploration of the evolution of temporal forecasting and consciousness.

Autonomy, understood as a sense of volition, self-direction, and self-endorsement, is a universal human need according to self-determination theory. Thus, it should be positively related to subjective well-being across the world. However, other theorists have proposed that autonomy should be more important in wealthier countries where life is less about survival and in more individualistic countries where self-expressive values are emphasized. To test these hypotheses, we utilized data from the World Values Survey, including 66 countries and nearly 100,000 individuals analyzed through Bayesian multilevel modeling. Using life satisfaction and happiness as key well-being outcomes, we found that autonomy was positively related to well-being across the world. This relation was moderated by national wealth and behaviorally measured individualism, with the relation being stronger in wealthier and more individualistic societies. However, the high correlation between national wealth and behaviorally measured individualism makes it hard to disentangle which of them is driving this effect. The present study thus provides support for suggesting that autonomy is universally connected to well-being but this relationship is enhanced by individualism and/or by less concern for survival.

In psychological science, researchers have long explored how individuals interact with their cultural context. Although it is commonly accepted that cultural factors shape individuals, the extent of this influence has not been clearly established. Some argue that culture profoundly shapes the human psyche, while others suggest a more limited cultural influence. This paper synthesizes these perspectives and reframes the inquiry from ‘To what extent is an individual’s life cultural?’ to “Which life domains are cultural?” To address this empirically, we sourced data from 147,260 participants residing in 88 different countries, who reported on 243 variables across, representing a wide range of different life domains. We analyzed 1,328 parameters derived from Intraclass Correlation Coefficients and Within-and-Between Analysis I, which quantify the proportion of variance in phenomena explained by differences at four levels of grouping: country, cultural zones, regions, and residential areas. We found that domains such as religious values, sexuality, social capital, and beliefs about out-groups vary significantly across cultures, whereas economic values, children’s qualities, perceptions of science and technology, and organizational affiliation show less variation. We situate these findings within models explaining societal constructs based on chronology, complexity, and evolutionary obligations.

In psychological science, researchers have long explored how individuals interact with their cultural context. Although it is commonly accepted that cultural factors shapeindividuals, the extent of this influence has not been clearly established. Some argue that culture profoundly shapes the human psyche, while others suggest a more limited culturalinfluence. This paper synthesizes these perspectives and reframes the inquiry from ‘To what extent is an individual's life cultural?’ to ‘Which life domains are cultural?’ To address thisempirically, we sourced data from 147,260 participants residing in 88 different countries, who reported on 243 variables across representing a wide range of different life domains. Weanalyzed 1328 parameters derived from Intra-Class Correlation Coefficients and Within-and-Between Analysis I, which quantify the proportion of variance in phenomena explained bydifferences at four levels of grouping: country, cultural zones, regions, and residential areas. We found that domains such as religious values, sexuality, social capital, and beliefs aboutout-groups vary significantly across cultures, whereas economic values, children's qualities, perceptions of science and technology, and organizational affiliation show less variation. Wesituate these findings within models explaining societal constructs based on chronology, complexity, and evolutionary obligations.

The link between economic inequality and individual well-being has been gaining increasing research attention. This study examines this relationship using data from 71 countries with diverse national incomes, addressing three key research gaps: (1) incorporating measures of both perceived and objective economic inequality, (2) extending analysis to multiple components of well-being beyond happiness, including meaning in life, harmony, and spirituality, and (3) assessing levels of both current and ideal well-being. Findings reveal that perceived economic inequality predicts personal well-being more strongly than objective inequality. In addition, perceived inequality is associated with a wider gap between current and ideal levels of happiness, meaning, harmony, and spirituality, although national income moderates the effects of meaning, harmony, and spirituality. We discuss the implications of these results, highlighting the need for more culturally sensitive studies on perceived economic inequality and well-being.