TY - JOUR
T1 - Misplaced trust
T2 - When trust in science fosters belief in pseudoscience and the benefits of critical evaluation
AU - O'Brien, Thomas C.
AU - Palmer, Ryan
AU - Albarracin, Dolores
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - At a time when pseudoscience threatens the survival of communities, understanding this vulnerability, and how to reduce it, is paramount. Four preregistered experiments (N = 532, N = 472, N = 605, N = 382) with online U.S. samples introduced false claims concerning a (fictional) virus created as a bioweapon, mirroring conspiracy theories about COVID-19, and carcinogenic effects of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). We identify two critical determinants of vulnerability to pseudoscience. First, participants who trust science are more likely to believe and disseminate false claims that contain scientific references than false claims that do not. Second, reminding participants of the value of critical evaluation reduces belief in false claims, whereas reminders of the value of trusting science do not. We conclude that trust in science, although desirable in many ways, makes people vulnerable to pseudoscience. These findings have implications for science broadly and the application of psychological science to curbing misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AB - At a time when pseudoscience threatens the survival of communities, understanding this vulnerability, and how to reduce it, is paramount. Four preregistered experiments (N = 532, N = 472, N = 605, N = 382) with online U.S. samples introduced false claims concerning a (fictional) virus created as a bioweapon, mirroring conspiracy theories about COVID-19, and carcinogenic effects of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). We identify two critical determinants of vulnerability to pseudoscience. First, participants who trust science are more likely to believe and disseminate false claims that contain scientific references than false claims that do not. Second, reminding participants of the value of critical evaluation reduces belief in false claims, whereas reminders of the value of trusting science do not. We conclude that trust in science, although desirable in many ways, makes people vulnerable to pseudoscience. These findings have implications for science broadly and the application of psychological science to curbing misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
KW - Critical thinking
KW - Methodological literacy
KW - Misinformation
KW - Trust in science
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104184
DO - 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104184
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85109005393
SN - 0022-1031
VL - 96
JO - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Experimental Social Psychology
M1 - 104184
ER -