A New Scientific Study Explains the Impact of Conspiracy Worldviews on Support for COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Children
Philadelphia, PA
In an article titled “The Role of Conspiracy Mindset in Reducing Support for Child Vaccination for COVID-19 in the United States,” published on June 13th, 2023, in Frontiers in Psychology , researchers Dan Romer and Kathleen Hall Jamieson report the manner in which conspiracy worldviews affect support for vaccination programs involving children.
This research was performed with a national panel established in April 2021. The study identified the respondents who held conspiracy worldviews and assessed trust in federal health agencies, media consumption, and specific misinformation and beliefs about the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children. They found that these factors influenced people's willingness to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children. The general worldview of distrust provided the foundation for these concerns, and the new conspiracy beliefs supported by that foundation created opposition to using the COVID-19 vaccine for children. On this point, Dr. Romer stated that “The CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] continues to recommend vaccination for Covid in children of school age and persons with a conspiratorial view of the medical system and the CDC are clearly not complying.” To find a way to support the CDC’s efforts, the researchers first had to understand how conspiracy beliefs affect support for COVID-19 vaccination for children. Their first goal was to measure how widespread the conspiracy worldview was. Then, they needed determine how that worldview incubates endorsement of misinformation about the use of the vaccine among children.
Survey Procedure
The study gathered data drawn from the Opinion Panel of adults from the continental US, as well as Hawaii and Alaska, managed by SSRS. Close to 2,000-panel members were selected randomly using both physical mail and phones in English and Spanish to reach those in more difficult-to-access populations and parts of the country. The respondents were asked questions relevant to general conspiracy worldview, beliefs in vaccine misinformation, specific conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines, and trust in the health system. Conspiracy worldview was measured with items such as “Much of our lives is controlled by plots hatched in secret places,” and specific conspiratorial misinformation was measured with items such as “Vaccines, in general, are full of toxins and harmful ingredients like antifreeze.” The survey also contained items to measure the perceived risk of COVID-19, what news sources respondents judged to be their primary source of information, and their willingness to recommend vaccination for children.
17 Percent of Americans Hold Conspiracy Worldviews
To begin, the study's results confirmed findings showing that 17 percent of the US population holds a “general conspiracy worldview.” The new study also discovered that the general conspiracy worldview predisposed respondents to also believing in specific conspiracy theories about the COVID-19 virus or the government's response to it. For example, the 17 percent who endorsed that worldview were more likely to believe that the virus is a biological weapon or that the FDA delayed the vaccine to hurt Donald Trump’s re-election.
People with Conspiracy Worldviews Seek Out Affirmation
The study conducted a detailed analysis of the consequences of the conspiracy worldview. One of the outcomes of supporting this worldview is that it draws individuals to conservative media, which support various conspiracy theories. Additionally, people with a conspiracy worldview typically avoid more mainstream news sources, such as major newspapers and televised news, which do not, on average, promote conspiracy theories. In summary, those with conspiracy worldviews choose echo chambers that reaffirm their beliefs rather than provide correcting information.
Misinformation is Strongly Correlated with the Worldview
In line with prior studies on this topic, the consumption of misinformation had a very strong correlation with what a person recommended regarding vaccinating children. What the researchers found in addition to that, though, was that the conspiracy worldview, endorsement of specific conspiratorial misinformation, and lack of trust in federal health agencies were correlated strongly as well.
Trusted Figures Will Likely be Required
An individual with a conspiracy worldview is likely to be a staunch opponent to being vaccinated for COVID-19 and is unlikely to recommend vaccinating children. This study reinforces previous findings that conspiracy worldviews predict low vaccination rates, belief in specific conspiracy theories regarding vaccines, and lack of trust in healthcare authorities. If any attempts are to be made to correct it, efforts should be directed to finding individuals who are seen as trustworthy sources of information among the 17 percent of Americans who hold a conspiracy worldview.
Dr. Dan Romer is the Director of Research at the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Dr. Kathleen Hall Jamieson is the Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Director of the University’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, and the Program Director of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands.
Martin P. Repetto
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