Inoculating Against Anti-Vaccination Conspiracies

Bibliographic Data

ID21616653
AuthorsJohn A Banas (0000-0002-5641-3985, University of Oklahoma, corresponding author), Elena Bessarabova (0000-0003-1503-5196, University of Oklahoma), Marisa C Penkauskas (University of Oklahoma), Neil Talbert (0009-0004-9300-9561, University of Oklahoma)
Year2024
Volume39
Issue9
Pages1760-1768
Publication date2024-07-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1041-0236 • E-ISSN: 1532-7027
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10410236.2023.2235733
PMID37489099
OpenAlexW4385230259
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited57

This study examined the efficacy of inoculation treatments in preventing anti-vaccination propaganda. Study predictions were tested in an independent-group experiment (N = 165), wherein participants were randomly assigned to a fact-based inoculation or a logic-based inoculation or a control message, with an excerpt from an anti-vaccination conspiracy film, Vaxxed, used as a counterattitudinal attack message. The results indicated that both inoculation treatments (fact-based and logic-based) were effective at instilling resistance to counter-persuasion, as compared to the control condition, and both types of inoculation messages were equal in their potential to facilitate resistance. In addition, we tested whether inoculating participants against an anti-vaccination conspiracy would help prevent the endorsement of other conspiracy theories. The data revealed that inoculating against one type of a conspiracy did not foster protection against other types of conspiratorial ideas, and, similar to previous research, endorsing one type of a conspiracy theory was positively associated with the endorsement of other conspiracies. These and other results are discussed along with their implications, limitations, and future research directions

Inoculation · Vaccination · Media Influence and Health · Medicine · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy · Immunology · Virology

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