Dissociation, cognitive reflection and health literacy have a modest effect on belief in conspiracy theories about covid-19

Vojtech Pisl; Jan Volavka; Edita Chvojka; Katerina Cechova; Gabriela Kavalirova; Jan Vevera

doi:10.3390/ijerph18105065

Dissociation, cognitive reflection and health literacy have a modest effect on belief in conspiracy theories about covid-19

Vojtech Pisl, Jan Volavka, Edita Chvojka, Katerina Cechova, Gabriela Kavalirova, Jan Vevera^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Understanding the predictors of belief in COVID-related conspiracy theories and willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how psychological and cognitive characteristics influence general conspiracy mentality and COVID-related conspiracy theories. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using multivariate linear regression and mediation analysis. Sixteen percent of respondents believed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and 17% believed that COVID-19 was intentionally created by humans. Seven percent of the variance of the hoax theory and 10% of the variance of the creation theory was explained by (in descending order of relevance) low cognitive reflection, low digital health literacy, high experience with dissociation and, to some extent, high bullshit receptivity. Belief in COVIDrelated conspiracy theories depended less on psychological and cognitive variables compared to conspiracy mentality (16% of the variance explained). The effect of digital health literacy on belief in COVID-related theories was moderated by cognitive reflection. Belief in conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 was influenced by experience with dissociation, cognitive reflection, digital health literacy and bullshit receptivity.

Original language	English
Article number	5065
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	18
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105065
Publication status	Published - 2 May 2021
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding: This work is supported by the Research Center of Charles University, program number 9, and by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, project VJ01010116.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

Funding: This work is supported by the Research Center of Charles University, program number 9, and by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, project VJ01010116.

Keywords

Bullshit receptivity
Cognitive reflection
Conspiracy theories
COVID-19
Dissociation
EHEALS
Health literacy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/ijerph18105065

Cite this

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title = "Dissociation, cognitive reflection and health literacy have a modest effect on belief in conspiracy theories about covid-19",

abstract = "Understanding the predictors of belief in COVID-related conspiracy theories and willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how psychological and cognitive characteristics influence general conspiracy mentality and COVID-related conspiracy theories. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using multivariate linear regression and mediation analysis. Sixteen percent of respondents believed that COVID-19 is a hoax, and 17\% believed that COVID-19 was intentionally created by humans. Seven percent of the variance of the hoax theory and 10\% of the variance of the creation theory was explained by (in descending order of relevance) low cognitive reflection, low digital health literacy, high experience with dissociation and, to some extent, high bullshit receptivity. Belief in COVIDrelated conspiracy theories depended less on psychological and cognitive variables compared to conspiracy mentality (16\% of the variance explained). The effect of digital health literacy on belief in COVID-related theories was moderated by cognitive reflection. Belief in conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 was influenced by experience with dissociation, cognitive reflection, digital health literacy and bullshit receptivity.",

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AU - Kavalirova, Gabriela

AU - Vevera, Jan

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Dissociation, cognitive reflection and health literacy have a modest effect on belief in conspiracy theories about covid-19

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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