scholarly journals Conspiracy Beliefs Are Related to the Use of Smartphones behind the Wheel

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 7725
Author(s):  
Pedro M. Valero-Mora ◽  
Juan José Zacaréss ◽  
Mar Sánchez-García ◽  
María Teresa Tormo-Lancero ◽  
Mireia Faus
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Road Safety ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
To Receive

The belief in conspiracy theories predicts behaviors related to public health such as the willingness to receive vaccines. This study applies a similar approach to an aspect of road safety: the use of smartphones while driving. A representative sample of 1706 subjects answered a series of questions related to what can be regarded as erroneous or conspiracy beliefs against restricting or banning the use of smartphones while driving. The results show that those having such conspiracy beliefs reported a greater use of smartphones behind the wheel.

scholarly journals Is It All a Conspiracy? Conspiracy Theories and People’s Attitude to COVID-19 Vaccination

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Yang ◽  
Xi Luo ◽  
Hepeng Jia
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Quota Sampling ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Vaccination Hesitancy

A large body of research has found that people’s beliefs in conspiracy theories about infectious diseases negatively impacts their health behaviors concerning vaccination. Conspiracy belief-based vaccination hesitancy has become more rampant after the global outbreak of COVID-19. However, some important questions remain unanswered. For instance, do different versions of conspiracy theories—particularly conspiracy theories about the origin of the epidemic (e.g., that the SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a Wuhan virology laboratory or that the virus was of foreign origin) and the general theories about vaccine conspiracies (e.g., pharmaceutical companies covered up the danger of vaccines or people are being deceived about the effectiveness of vaccines)—have the same effect on vaccination intentions? Through a national survey adopting quota sampling in China, the current study tested the relationship between people’s conspiracy beliefs and their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. The findings show that people’s embrace of conspiracy theories did indeed affect their intention to take COVID-19 shots. However, only conspiracy theories related to vaccines had a significant impact, while belief in more general theories about COVID-19 did not significantly affect vaccination intentions. People’s knowledge of vaccines (vaccine literacy) played an important role in this relationship. People with lower beliefs in vaccines conspiracy theories and higher levels of vaccine literacy were more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

Morality in the echo chamber: The relationship between belief in conspiracy theories, morality and support for COVID-19 public health policies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theofilos Gkinopoulos ◽  
Christian T. Elbaek ◽  
Panagiotis Mitkidis
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs

Beliefs in conspiracy theories are a major problem, especially in the face of a pandemic, as these constitute a significant obstacle to public health policies, like the use of masks and vaccination. Indeed, during the COVID-19 pandemic, several ungrounded explanations regarding the origin of the virus or the effects of vaccinations have been rising, leading to vaccination hesitancy or refusal which poses as a threat to public health. Recent studies have shown that in the core of conspiracy theories lies a moral evaluation component; one that triggers a moral reasoning which reinforces the conspiracy itself. To gain a better understanding of how conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 affect public health containment behaviours and policy support, we analysed comprehensive data from the International Collaboration on the Social & Moral Psychology (ICSMP) of COVID-19, consisting of more than 50.000 participants across 67 countries. We particularly explored the mediating role of two levels of morality: individual and group-based morality. Results show that believing in conspiracy theories reduces adoption of containment health-related behaviors and political support of public health measures and that this relationship is mediated by the two levels of morality. This means that beliefs in conspiracy theories do not simply constitute antecedents of cognitive biases or failures, nor maladaptive behaviors based on personality traits, but are morally infused and should be dealt as such. Based on our findings, we further discuss the psychological, moral, and political implications of endorsement of conspiracy theories in the era of the pandemic.

scholarly journals How populism and conservative media fuel conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 and what it means for COVID-19 behaviors

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205316802199397
Author(s):  
Dominik A. Stecula ◽  
Mark Pickup
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Partisan Polarization ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
American Society ◽  
Conservative Media ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

Research examining attitudes and behaviors of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic has largely focused on partisanship as a lens through which many Americans see the coronavirus. Given the importance of partisan affiliation and the degree of partisan polarization in the American society, that is certainly an important driver of public opinion, and a necessary one to understand. But an overlooked set of predispositions might also shape COVID beliefs and attitudes: populism. It is a worldview that pits average citizens against “the elites” and, importantly in the context of a pandemic, it includes anti-intellectual attitudes such as distrust of experts (including scientists). We find that populism is correlated with conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19, above and beyond partisanship. Furthermore, we find that conservative media consumption tends to be a stronger predictor of conspiracy belief among those high in populism than among those low in populism. We also show that these beliefs have consequences: those who believe the conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are less likely to adapt behaviors recommended by public health officials.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Scientific Facts vs. Conspiracy Theories: Is Science Failing to Pass Its Message?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6343
Author(s):  
Marios Constantinou ◽  
Antonios Kagialis ◽  
Maria Karekla
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Lower Education ◽  
Scientific Facts

Science may be failing to convince a significant number of people about COVID-19 scientific facts and needed public health measures. Individual and social factors are behind believing conspiracy theories. Adults (N = 1001) were asked to rate their beliefs in various conspiracy theories circulating in social media, rate their psychological distress relating to COVID-19, rate their trust in science to solve COVID-19 problems, and rate their willingness to adhere to measures regarding social distancing and quarantine. The findings showed conspiracy theories are widely believed and related to lower age, lower education, living in less densely populated areas, and lower income. Stronger conspiracy theory beliefs predicted science mistrust and unwillingness to adhere to public health measures. Psychological state was a strong predictor of conspiracy beliefs. Recommendations, stemming from the findings, for reducing such beliefs and better serving public health are discussed.

Empowerment as a Tool to Reduce Belief in Conspiracy Theories

2018 ◽  
pp. 432-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Willem van Prooijen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
The Public ◽  
Decision Outcomes ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Conspiracy theories can be harmful for public health, global warming, safety, conflict, and political polarization. What interventions help reduce the appeal of conspiracy theories? It is well-known that conspiracy theories flourish among citizens who feel powerless and out of control, however I argue that the opposite is also true: that feeling empowered and in control of one’s social environment reduces belief in conspiracy theories. Given this, authorities can reduce conspiracy beliefs among the public by installing procedural justice principles in decision-making processes. Procedural justice increases feelings of empowerment and trust, even among followers who disagree with the decision outcomes.

scholarly journals COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, health behaviors, and policy support

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 850-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie A Earnshaw ◽  
Lisa A Eaton ◽  
Seth C Kalichman ◽  
Natalie M Brousseau ◽  
E Carly Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Multivariable Regression

Abstract Conspiracy theories have been proliferating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that belief in conspiracy theories undermines engagement in pro-health behaviors and support for public health policies. Moreover, previous work suggests that inoculating messages from opinion leaders that expose conspiracy theories as false before people are exposed to them can help to prevent belief in new conspiracies. Goals of this study were to: (a) explore associations between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine intentions, cooperation with public health recommendations, and support for public health policies among U.S. adults and (b) investigate trusted sources of COVID-19 information to inform strategies to address conspiracy beliefs. A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted with 845 U.S. adults in April 2020. Data were analyzed using analyses of variance and multivariable regressions. One-third (33%) of participants believed one or more conspiracies about COVID-19. Participants who believed conspiracies reported that their intentions to vaccinate were 3.9 times lower and indicated less support for COVID-19 public health policies than participants who disbelieved conspiracies. There were no differences in cooperation with public health recommendations by conspiracy belief endorsement in the multivariable regression analysis. Although there were some key differences in trusted sources of COVID-19 information, doctor(s) were the most trusted source of information about COVID-19 overall with 90% of participants trusting doctor(s). Doctor(s) may play a role in addressing COVID-19 conspiracy theories before people are exposed to them to promote COVID-19 prevention efforts.

scholarly journals Are COVID-19 conspiracies a threat to public health? Psychological characteristics and health protective behaviours of believers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Juanchich ◽  
Miroslav Sirota ◽  
Daniel Jolles ◽  
lilith whiley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Psychological Characteristics ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Mind Set ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Protective Behaviours

The fast-changing COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to many conspiracy theories, and these have the potential to undermine public health measures and safeguarding behaviours. We conducted three studies before and during the COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom (UK) (n = 302, 404 and 399) to (i) identify the prevalence of COVID-19 conspiracy theories in the UK, (ii) map their socio-psychological predictors, and (iii) investigate their association with health safeguarding behaviours. We found COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs were prevalent (25% of participants endorsed at least one) and predicted by beliefs in unrelated conspiracies, a conspiracy mind-set, distrust in governmental authorities, education, and cognitive reflection. Unexpectedly, COVID-19 conspiracy believers adhered to basic health guidelines both before and after the lockdown as strictly as non-believers (e.g., washing hands, social distancing) and adopted more advanced health protective behaviours not (yet) officially recommended in the UK (e.g., wearing a mask, washing groceries with soap). Conspiracy believers were also more reluctant to install the contact-tracing app, get tested for and vaccinated against COVID-19 because of the perceived risks associated with these procedures. We discuss psychological characteristics that explain the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and people’s behaviours and intentions, and suggest practical recommendations for public health initiatives.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Scientific Facts Vs. Conspiracy Theories: 0 – 1: Science Fails to Convince Even Highly Educated Individuals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marios Constantinou ◽  
Anthony Kagialis ◽  
Maria Karekla
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Conspiracy Theory ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Scientific Facts

Abstract Science may be failing to convince a significant number of people about COVID-19 scientific facts and needed public health measures. Individual and social factors are behind believing conspiracy theories. Adults (N = 1001) were asked to rate their beliefs in various conspiracy theories circulating in social media, rate their psychological distress relating to COVID-19, rate their trust in science to solve COVID-19 problems, and rate their willingness to adhere to measures regarding social distancing and quarantine. The findings showed conspiracy theories are widely believed even among highly educated individuals. Stronger conspiracy theory beliefs predicted science mistrust and unwillingness to adhere to public health measures. Psychological distress increased conspiracy beliefs. Recommendations, stemming from the findings, for reducing such beliefs and better serve public health are discussed.

scholarly journals Conspiracy Beliefs and Distrust of Science Predicts Reluctance of Vaccine Uptake of Politically Right-Wing Citizens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Winter ◽  
Benjamin Riordan ◽  
Damian Scarf ◽  
Paul Jose
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Underlying Factor ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs

Conspiracy theories quickly flourished as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and this may have been an underlying factor for some individuals in their reluctance to adhere to lockdown policies. In the present study, we surveyed a community sample of 1358 adults just prior to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our results supported that right-wing individuals tended to have higher hesitancy associated with taking the COVID-19 vaccine. However, we demonstrated that this association, in part, can be explained by a corresponding belief in COVID-19 related conspiracies. Further, this association only emerged when associated with a general distrust in science. Our findings indicated that public interventions seeking to increase trust in science may mitigate right-wing endorsement of conspiracy theories and thus lead to a more unified and positive response to public health behaviours such as vaccination.

»Sometimes you just have to go in « – The link between conspiracy beliefs and political action

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Lamberty ◽  
David Leiser
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Violent Action ◽  
One Year

Even though conspiracy theories often address political issues, the question of how conspiracy beliefs affect people's political action has not been satisfyingly answered. We show how conspiracy beliefs are linked to political action. Study 1 (N = 203) shows that conspiracy beliefs were linked to violence. Study 2 (N = 268) supported the notion that conspiracy beliefs were linked to weaker support for normative actions and stronger support of violent action. In Study 3 (N = 180), we explored experimentally whether conspiracy beliefs increase violent action. The longitudinal Study 4 (N T1 = 523, N T2 = 274, N T3 = 199) showed over a timespan of one year that conspiracy beliefs increased non-normative political action.

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