Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs and distrust of science predict risky public health behaviours through optimistically biased risk perceptions in Ukraine, Turkey, and Germany

Chayinska, María; Uluğ, Özden Melis; Ayanian, Arin H.; Gratzel, Johanna Claudia; Brik, Tymofii; Kende, Anna; McGarty, Craig

doi:10.1177/1368430220978278

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Despite the nonsignificant association between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and vaccination intent, we did find a highly negative association between beliefs about vaccine effectiveness and conspiracy theories (r = -0.618, p < 0.05) (Chayinska et al, 2021;Constantinou et al, 2020). This association could be the starting point to encourage and promote vaccination, as it means that reducing conspiracy theory beliefs would help to increase vaccine effectiveness beliefs, promoting an increase in vaccination intent and future vaccination behavior.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 66%

To get vaccinated or not? Social psychological factors associated with vaccination intent for COVID-19

Baeza-Rivera

Salazar-Fernández

Araneda-Leal

et al. 2021

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology

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Pandemic control not only requires effective COVID-19 vaccines but also that they are accepted by at least 80% of the population. For this reason, understanding the social psychological variables associated with vaccination intent is essential to achieve herd immunity. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, this study seeks to analyze vaccination intent using the beliefs about vaccine effectiveness, conspiracy theories, and injunctive norms as predictors. A non-probabilistic national online survey was conducted during December 2020. A sample of 1,033 people in Chile answered a questionnaire with the study variables. Using structural equation models, it was found that vaccination intent was explained in 62.1% by beliefs about vaccine effectiveness and injunctive norms, controlling for age, political orientation, socioeconomic status, educational level, and gender. Specifically, beliefs about vaccine effectiveness are based on people's experience with previous immunization processes, which predict vaccination intent. Regarding injunctive norms, they act by influencing and encouraging vaccination by seeking the approval of significant others. Contrary to expected, conspiracy beliefs were not directly associated with the intention to receive a COVID-19 vaccine but were highly related to lower beliefs about vaccine effectiveness. This study suggests that to enhance the vaccination intent, socio-psychological and structural variables need to be considered.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 66%

To get vaccinated or not? Social psychological factors associated with vaccination intent for COVID-19

Baeza-Rivera

Salazar-Fernández

Araneda-Leal

et al. 2021

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Now, as we focus on stopping the spread of COVID‐19 infections, we need to combine our efforts to understand and control both challengers to cooperation and factors which may facilitate it (Mayo, 1945). A better understanding of the underpinning psychological process of ideological intergroup division and fragmentation is needed now more than ever—we have seen the influence of divisive COVID‐19 narratives of blame, anti‐vaccination, and conspiracy undermine public health efforts through rejection of vaccines and non‐adherence to rules (Baeza‐Rivera et al., 2021; Chayinska et al., 2021; Khan et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From cooperation to conflict: The role of collective narratives in shaping group behaviour

Bliuc

Chidley

2022

Social & Personality Psych

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In this paper, we review the concept of collective narratives and their role in shaping group behaviour. We see collective narratives as ‘meta‐stories’ embraced by groups that incorporate values and beliefs about social reality, therefore providing a blueprint for group norms which, in turn, inform group members' behaviour. Our aim is to both describe the psychological processes underpinning the relation between collective narratives and group behaviours and develop an integrative typology of the functions of collective narratives (as they connect to various collective behaviours). We start by discussing definitions in the recent literature and propose an integrative conceptualisation which positions collective narratives in the context of collective action research. Next, we focus on the process by which collective narratives provide the bases for identity formation, development, and change, thus shaping group behaviour. We see collective narratives as central in understanding group behaviour, as they function as ‘meta‐stories’ that incorporate moral codes and values, and beliefs about the ingroups and outgroups—providing a blueprint for group norms which, in turn, inform group members' behaviour. In the second part of the article, we describe a typology of collective narratives according to their functions, structured around two core dimensions: the context/s in which collective narratives develop and are shared (i.e., intragroup vs. intergroup) and their effects within these contexts (i.e., driving consensus vs. driving dissent). We identify four distinctive types of collective narrative functions and review research showing how each of them shapes specific social identity content, including behaviour prescribing norms. We then show how these specific norms shape behaviours ranging from cooperation and pro‐social action to hostile intergroup conflict. The implications of this contribution are twofold. First, by providing a systematic account and categorisation of how collective narratives function in society and of their connections to social identities (and their content), we can more accurately deduct group norms and predict behaviours in specific circumstances, including in relation to political violence. Second, by better understanding the narratives that provide the bases of identity formation, development, and change, we can improve attempts to create alternative narratives that unify rather than divide people, so that pathways to co‐operation might be chosen over conflict.

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“…Nearly half of all participants believed at least one of four widespread conspiracy theories about COVID-19. This is significant because it has both direct and indirect effects on trust in science and health practices (Chayinska et al, 2021). Moreover, it is evident from the data that people in Turkey over the age of 65 tend to unconditionally believed in any COVID-19 information (Binark, Arun, Özsoy, Kandemir, & Şahinkaya, 2020).…”

Section: Prevalence Of Covid-19 Misinformation and Conspiracy Theorie...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID-19 Infodemic: Misinformation About Health on Social Media in Istanbul

Tuncer

TAM²

2022

Türkiye İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi

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Misinformation and conspiracy theories can spread as quickly as the COVID-19 pathogen itself. The infodemic, which describes false or misleading information about this recent epidemic on the internet, has become a serious problem all over the world, and has been declared as an "enemy" by the World Health Organization. In this sense, in order to combat the epidemic, it becomes important to reveal the nuances of COVID-19 related infodemic available on the internet. Particularly, internet users in Turkey are increasingly utilizing social media -a platform synonymous with misinformation-to access news coverage regarding the pandemic (World Health Organization, 2020). In this quantitative study focusing on the city of Istanbul (n=399), which is at the epicenter of the outbreak in Turkey, the social media usage of individuals, their trust in these platforms, exposure to misinformation and conspiracy theories, and fact-checking behaviors were examined. Our results indicate that participants tended to believe in misinformation and conspiracy theories rather than confirming information through fact-checking platforms. Nearly half of all participants believed at least one of four widespread conspiracy theories about the virus. Moreover, when fact-checking did identify misinformation, the participants' trust in social media showed a slight decrease. Based on these findings, our study proposes a comprehensive model for pandemic-related trust, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and fact-checking factors on digital platforms.

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Coronavirus conspiracy beliefs and distrust of science predict risky public health behaviours through optimistically biased risk perceptions in Ukraine, Turkey, and Germany

Cited by 28 publications

References 51 publications

To get vaccinated or not? Social psychological factors associated with vaccination intent for COVID-19

To get vaccinated or not? Social psychological factors associated with vaccination intent for COVID-19

From cooperation to conflict: The role of collective narratives in shaping group behaviour

The COVID-19 Infodemic: Misinformation About Health on Social Media in Istanbul

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