Kenzo Nera

Kenzo Nera

postdoctoral researcher

  • Master in social and intercultural psychology (2014-2016)
  • October 1st, 2018 – October 1st, 2022: FNRS research fellow (Université libre de Bruxelles)
  • Since February 22nd, 2022: PhD in Social Psychology
  • October 1st, 2022 – September 31st, 2023: postdoctoral researcher (Université catholique de Louvain)
  • October 1st, 2023 – : FRS-FNRS postdoctoral researcher

  • Conspiracy theories
  • Social identity
  • Stigmatisation of “conspiracy theorists”
  • Self-referential conspiracy theories (i.e., pertaining to the weaponisation of the label “conspiracy theories”)
  • Group inequalities

Scientific publications

Nera, K. (2024). Thinking the Relationships Between Conspiracy Mentality and Belief in Conspiracy Theories: Working Assumptions for a New Research Agenda. Comment accepted for Publication in Zeitschrift für Psychologie.

Nera, K. (2024). Analysing the Causation Between Conspiracy Mentality and Conspiracy Beliefs: Potential Pitfalls and Leads to Address Them. Research spotlight accepted for Publication in Zeitschrift für Psychologie.

Nera, K., & Schöpfer, C. (2023). What is so special about conspiracy theories? Conceptually distinguishing beliefs in conspiracy theories from conspiracy beliefs in psychological research. Theory & Psychology, 33(3), 287-305.
Nera, K., Procop, I., & Klein, O. (2023). Comparing the ideological correlates of anti-government and anti-Roma conspiracy beliefs in Romania. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 17, 18344909231162276.
Altay, S., Nera, K., Ejaz, W., Schöpfer, C., & Tomas, F. (2023). Conspiracy believers claim to be free thinkers but (Under) Use advice like everyone else. British Journal of Social Psychology, 62(4), 1782-1797. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12655
Nera, K., Bertin, P., & Klein, O. (2022). Conspiracy Theories as Opportunistic Attributions of Power. Current Opinion in Psychology, 101381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101381
Leveaux, S., Nera, K.*, Fagnoni, P., & Klein, P. P. (2022). Defining and Explaining Conspiracy Theories: Comparing the Lay Representations of Conspiracy Believers and Non-Believers. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 10(1), 335-352.  https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.6201
* Shared 1st authorship
Nera, K., Mora, Y. L., Klein, P., Roblain, A., Van Oost, P., Terache, J., & Klein, O. (2022). Looking for Ties with Secret Agendas During the Pandemic: Conspiracy Mentality is Associated with Reduced Trust in Political, Medical, and Scientific Institutions–but Not in Medical Personnel. Psychologica Belgica, 62(1), 193. https://doi.org/10.5334/pb.1086

Nera, K., Jetten, J., Biddlestone, M., & Klein, O. (2022). “Who Wants to Silence Us?” Perceived Discrimination of Conspiracy Theory Believers Increases “Conspiracy Theorist” Identification When it Comes From Powerholders – But not From the General Public. British Journal of Social Psychology (online). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12536

Roblain, A., Gale, J., Abboud, S., Arnal Bacalao, C., Bornand, T., Hanioti Kokkoli, M., Klein, O., Klein, P., Lastrego, S., Licata, L., Mora, Y., Nera, K., Van der Linden, N., Van Oost, P., & Toma, C. (2022). Social control and solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic: the direct and indirect effects of causal attribution of insufficient compliance through perceived anomie. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2600

Nera, K. (2021) Pourquoi se croit-on si souvent plus malin que les autres ? Eléments de réponses issus de la recherche en psychologie. In-Mind FR, 1(2). https://fr.in-mind.org/fr/article/pourquoi-se-croit-on-si-souvent-plus-malin-que-les-autres-elements-de-reponses-issus-de-la

Nera, K., Wagner‐Egger, P., Bertin, P., Douglas, K. M., & Klein, O. (2021). A power‐challenging theory of society, or a conservative mindset? Upward and downward conspiracy theories as ideologically distinct beliefs. European Journal of Social Psychology, 51(4-5), 740-757. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2769

Bertin, P., Nera, K., Hamer, K., Uhl-Haedicke, I., & Delouvée, S. (2021). Stand out of my sunlight: The mediating role of climate change conspiracy beliefs in the relationship between national collective narcissism and acceptance of climate science. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(5), 738-758. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/cnmfa

Klein, O., & Nera, K. (2021). Psychologie politique du complotisme à l’ère du COVID-19. La Revue Nouvelle, 2021(1), 14-18. https://doi.org/10.3917/rn.211.0014

Bertin, P., Nera, K., & Delouvée, S. (2020). Conspiracy Beliefs, Rejection of Vaccination, and Support for (hydroxy)chloroquine: A Conceptual Replication-Extension in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context. Frontiers in Psychology, 11:565128. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.565128

Nera, K., Leveaux, S., & Klein, P. P. L. E. (2020). A “Conspiracy Theory” Conspiracy? A Mixed Methods Investigation of Laypeople’s Rejection (and Acceptance) of a Controversial Label. International Review of Social Psychology, 33(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.401

Aromatario, A., de Morati, L., & Nera, K. (2020). L’adoption en Belgique francophone. Courrier hebdomadaire du CRISP, 37(2482), 5-52.

Nera, K., Pantazi, M., & Klein, O. (2018). “These are just stories, Mulder”: Exposure to conspiracist fiction does not produce narrative persuasion. Frontiers in Psychology 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00684

 

Chapters

Wagner-Egger, P., & Nera, K. (2022). Complotisme et extrémisme. Dans Arciszewski, T. (Ed.), Psychologie de l’extrémisme et du terrorisme. De Boeck supérieur.

Klein, O., Nera, K., & Arnal, C. (2021). L’érosion de la démocratie par le complotisme. In Huyghe, F. (Ed.). Méfiance et crédulité des foules, Vol. 5, 6-10. Institut de recherches internationales et stratégiques

Klein, O., & Nera, K. (2020). Social psychology of conspiracy theories. In Butter, M., & Knight, P. (Eds.). Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories (pp.  121-134). Routledge.

 

Popularization

Nera, K. (2023). Complotisme et quête identitaire. Puf.

Nera, K., & Yzerbyt, V. (2019). Qui (n’) a (pas) aimé “Joker” ? Comment le positionnement politique influence la réception d’une fiction. The Conversation France. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/qui-n-a-pas-aime-joker-comment-le-positionnement-politique-influence-la-reception-dune-fiction-125409

Nera, K. (2018). Biais de raisonnement et dangers des algorithmes. The Conversation France. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/biais-de-raisonnement-et-dangers-des-algorithmes-120543

 

CONTACT

Université Libre de Bruxelles
50 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt CP122
B-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Secrétaire: Luce Vercammen
Phone: +32 (2) 650 4643 Fax: +32 (2) 650 4045