Conspiracy Theories as Barriers to Controlling the Spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.
2020
This article uses national probability survey data of U.S. adults to assess the relationship between belief in three COVID-19-related conspiracy theories to adoption of preventive measures recommended by public health authorities, vaccination intentions, conspiracy beliefs, perceptions of threat, belief about the safety of vaccines, political ideology, and media exposure patterns. Authors found that conspiracy theory beliefs were highly stable across two periods of the survey and inversely related to the (1) perceived threat of the pandemic, (2) taking of preventive actions, including wearing a face mask, (3) perceived safety of vaccination, and (4) intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Although the adoption of preventive behaviors was predicted by political ideology and conservative media reliance, vaccination intentions were less related to political ideology. Mainstream television news use predicted adopting both preventive actions and vaccination.
The authors conclude that it will be critical to confront both conspiracy theories and vaccination misinformation to prevent further spread of the virus in the U.S. and that reduction of those barriers will require continued messaging by public health authorities on mainstream media and in particular on politically conservative outlets that have supported COVID-related conspiracy theories.
This description was adapted from the publication abstract.
Conspiracy Theories as Barriers to Controlling the Spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Source:
Romer D, Jamieson KH. Conspiracy Theories as Barriers to Controlling the Spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. Social Science & Medicine 2020; 263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113356