The Structure of Individualized and Generalized Political Trust: A Network Analysis of Data from Two Representative-Sample Studies Girts Dimdins, Martins Priedols, Ivars Austers, Viktorija Gaina, Veronika Leja Sage Open, 2024 This study examined the relationship between generalized (trust in the political system) and individualized (trust in a specific political actor) political trust in two surveys with representative samples from Latvia (total N = 2,001). The results of a regularized partial correlation network analysis of the data from both surveys revealed that variables associated with each level of trust formed separate clusters, which were virtually unrelated in Study 1, and moderately related in Study 2. Across both datasets, political cynicism was the only variable robustly (negatively) related to both levels of trust. External political efficacy was strongly related to generalized political trust, whereas internal political efficacy was unrelated to either level of political trust. Generalized interpersonal trust was only weakly related to generalized political trust and was unrelated to individualized political trust. The findings show that trust in the political system and trust in specific political actors form separate, although related, network structures and are likely determined by a different set of variables, representing different kinds of psychological reasoning. Generalized political trust can be seen as part of a general attitude towards one’s country, whereas individualized trust is based on more situational factors and shaped through the mechanisms of person perception and group perception.
Evaluation of misinformation among pro-Ukrainian Latvians – the role of prior attitude, analytical thinking, and emotions Martins Priedols, Girts Dimdins Frontiers in Psychology, 2023 In this exploratory study with a community sample (N = 115), we look at the perception of pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine misinformation, mimicking content shared by naive Facebook users, and the factors related to it among pro-Ukraine Latvians. Our results support the integrative model in the perception of misinformation—we found strong evidence of myside bias, as pro-Russia misinformation was judged to be significantly less accurate than pro-Ukraine misinformation. Analytical thinking, measured with the seven-item cognitive reflection test, was associated with lower levels of pro-Ukraine misinformation accuracy judgments and lower overall misinformation accuracy judgments; however, there was no correlation between analytical thinking and pro-Russian misinformation accuracy judgments. Pro-Ukrainian misinformation accuracy judgments were positively related to positive emotions elicited by misinformation, the level of support for Ukraine, and the participant's age. In addition, participants indicated a higher likelihood of engaging with misinformation if they came across it online, trusted the information, and if it elicited positive emotions. Thus, our findings emphasize the role of one's attitude, analytical thinking, and emotions in one's perception, evaluation, and engagement with congruent and incongruent misinformation.
Political Trust and the Ultimate Attribution Error in Explaining Successful and Failed Policy Initiatives Martins Priedols, Girts Dimdins, Viktorija Gaina, Veronika Leja, Ivars Austers Sage Open, 2022 This study examines how the ultimate attribution error (group attribution bias) plays out in the interaction between trust/distrust in a political actor and the success or failure of the actor’s proposed policy initiative. We conducted an experiment where student participants ( n = 222) from Latvian universities evaluated reasons for the success versus failure of a policy initiative proposed by a trusted versus untrusted political party in terms of the perceived benevolence, competence, and integrity of the political party as dispositional factors contributing to the initiative’s outcome, or external circumstances not under the political party’s control. The results showed evidence of the ultimate attribution error in the participants’ answers. The success of a policy initiative was explained more in terms of positive dispositions of the authoring party when the initiative came from a trusted political party than when it came from a distrusted party, and an initiative’s failure was explained more in terms of a lack of these positive dispositions when the initiative came from a distrusted party. There were no indications of the ultimate attribution error when explaining an initiative’s success or failure by external factors not controlled by the party authoring the initiative. The results provide additional insight into how the mechanisms of intergroup attribution play out in the context of political trust and may influence both overall trust in political actors and the evaluation of specific policy initiatives authored by these actors.
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Political Trust and Analytical Thinking in Evaluating Pseudo-Profound Bullshit and Profound Statements M Priedols, G Dimdins The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Civic and Political Studies … , 2025 2025.0
The Structure of Individualized and Generalized Political Trust: A Network Analysis of Data from Two Representative-Sample Studies G Dimdins, M Priedols, I Austers, V Gaina, V Leja SAGE Open 14 (3), 21582440241281541 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 4
Perception of traffic hazards, personality, situational awareness, and perspective taking R Cinks, K Evelis, M Priedols, G Dimdins, I Muzikante, I Austers INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 59, 775-775 , 2024 2024.0
The opposing roles of patriotism and nationalism in explaining trust in a political system I Austers, G Dimdins, M Priedols, V Gaina, V Leja Social Sciences & Humanities Open 10, 101131 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 11
Evaluation of misinformation among pro-Ukrainian Latvians–the role of prior attitude, analytical thinking, and emotions M Priedols, G Dimdins Frontiers in Psychology 14, 1165039 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 6
Political trust and the ultimate attribution error in explaining successful and failed policy initiatives M Priedols, G Dimdins, V Gaina, V Leja, I Austers SAGE Open 12 (2), 21582440221102427 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 3
Confirmation bias, analytical thinking, and emotional intensity in evaluating news headlines online M Priedols, G Dimdins Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 39 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 2
Political Trust, Attitudes, And Behaviour In Population And Politician Samples From Latvia M Priedols, G Dimdins, V Gaina, V Leja, I Austers HUMAN, TECHNOLOGIES AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION, 28 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 1
Ierosinātas neuzticēšanās ietekme uz apstiprināšanas noslieci tiešsaistes informācijas atlasē M Priedols Latvijas Universitāte , 2020 2020.0
Skaitliska enkura un avota ticamības ietekme uz vizuālu stimulu novērtējumu M Priedols Latvijas Universitāte , 2017 2017.0
Iedzīvotāju un apdzīvojuma struktūras izmaiņas Gailīšu pagastā (20. gs. vidus–21. gs. sākums) M Priedols Latvijas Universitāte , 2007 2007.0
PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, PERSONALITY, DRIVING BEHAVIOR, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO RISK PERCEPTION IN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS R Cinks, I Austers, Ģ Dimdiņš, M Priedols, K Ēvelis, I Muzikante
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
The opposing roles of patriotism and nationalism in explaining trust in a political system I Austers, G Dimdins, M Priedols, V Gaina, V Leja Social Sciences & Humanities Open 10, 101131 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 11
Evaluation of misinformation among pro-Ukrainian Latvians–the role of prior attitude, analytical thinking, and emotions M Priedols, G Dimdins Frontiers in Psychology 14, 1165039 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 6
The Structure of Individualized and Generalized Political Trust: A Network Analysis of Data from Two Representative-Sample Studies G Dimdins, M Priedols, I Austers, V Gaina, V Leja SAGE Open 14 (3), 21582440241281541 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 4
Political trust and the ultimate attribution error in explaining successful and failed policy initiatives M Priedols, G Dimdins, V Gaina, V Leja, I Austers SAGE Open 12 (2), 21582440221102427 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 3
Confirmation bias, analytical thinking, and emotional intensity in evaluating news headlines online M Priedols, G Dimdins Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 39 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 2
Political Trust, Attitudes, And Behaviour In Population And Politician Samples From Latvia M Priedols, G Dimdins, V Gaina, V Leja, I Austers HUMAN, TECHNOLOGIES AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION, 28 , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 1
Political Trust and Analytical Thinking in Evaluating Pseudo-Profound Bullshit and Profound Statements M Priedols, G Dimdins The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Civic and Political Studies … , 2025 2025.0
Perception of traffic hazards, personality, situational awareness, and perspective taking R Cinks, K Evelis, M Priedols, G Dimdins, I Muzikante, I Austers INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 59, 775-775 , 2024 2024.0
Ierosinātas neuzticēšanās ietekme uz apstiprināšanas noslieci tiešsaistes informācijas atlasē M Priedols Latvijas Universitāte , 2020 2020.0
Skaitliska enkura un avota ticamības ietekme uz vizuālu stimulu novērtējumu M Priedols Latvijas Universitāte , 2017 2017.0
Iedzīvotāju un apdzīvojuma struktūras izmaiņas Gailīšu pagastā (20. gs. vidus–21. gs. sākums) M Priedols Latvijas Universitāte , 2007 2007.0
PERSPECTIVE-TAKING, PERSONALITY, DRIVING BEHAVIOR, AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO RISK PERCEPTION IN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS R Cinks, I Austers, Ģ Dimdiņš, M Priedols, K Ēvelis, I Muzikante
