Abstract
ABSTRACT Background Quantum Mechanics (QM) is a crucial area for the development of future technologies and societal advancement. However, due to the increasing exposure of QM technological achievements in mainstream media, there is a growing body of misinformation and pseudoscientific quantum-related claims spreading through the internet. Purpose The primary objective of this paper is to present the design, development and construct validation of an instrument, called PSEUDO-QM, to measure QM-related pseudoscientific views. To this aim, we collected three types of validity evidence: structural, convergent and criterion-related. Sample The study analysed responses from two samples of Italian high school students (n = 450). Design and Methods Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to collect structural validity evidence of the PSEUDO-QM instrument. Convergent validity evidence was collected by inspecting the correlations between the PSEUDO-QM instrument and the generic pseudoscientific and conspiracy belief scales. Criterion-related evidence was collected by analysing the relationship among PSEUDO-QM scores, levels of scientific content consumption, and different profiles of trust in public and scientific institutions through correlation analysis and analysis of variance. Results The results indicate that the 11-item PSEUDO-QM instrument shows adequate structural and convergent validity evidence. Moreover, we found adequate criterion-related evidence, namely a significant negative association between the consumption of science-related content and PSEUDO-QM score and a significant positive association between beliefs in QM-related pseudoscientific claims and distrust in public and science agencies. Conclusions The PSEUDO-QM instrument can provide insights into the mechanisms that underlie the endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs. It can also assist policy makers and science popularization practitioners in developing strategies to help citizens deal with science-related post-truths.
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