Abstract
How Trust in Experts and Media Use Affect Acceptance of Common Anti-Vaccination Claims
Highlights
How does the use of traditional media vs social media affect the belief in false information regarding vaccines in the US population?
Drawing on evidence gathered in two periods in 2019 (i.e., February 28-March 25, 2019 and September 13-October 2, 2019) from a nationally representative survey panel of Americans, we studied how anti-vaccination claims are widely held, persist, and relate to an individual’s media consumption and levels of trust in medical experts
We found that a relatively high number of individuals are at least somewhat misinformed about vaccines: 18% of our respondents mistakenly state that it is very or somewhat accurate to say that vaccines cause autism, 15% mistakenly agree that it is very or somewhat accurate to say that vaccines are full of toxins, 20% wrongly report that it is very or somewhat accurate to say it makes no difference whether parents choose to delay or spread out vaccines instead of relying on the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine schedule, and 19% incorrectly hold that it is very or somewhat accurate to say that it is better to develop immunity by getting the disease than by vaccination
Summary
How Trust in Experts and Media Use Affect Acceptance of Common Anti-Vaccination Claims. Surveys of nearly 2,500 Americans, conducted during a measles outbreak, suggest that users of traditional media are less likely to be misinformed about vaccines than are users of social media. Results suggest that an individual’s level of trust in medical experts affects the likelihood that a person’s beliefs about vaccination will change. Authors: Dominik Andrzej Stecula (1); Ozan Kuru (2); Kathleen Hall Jamieson (3) Affiliations: (1) Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Simon Fraser University; (2, 3) Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania How to cite: Stecula, Dominik Andrzej; Kuru, Ozan; Jamieson, Kathleen Hall (2020). How Trust in Experts and Media Use Affect Acceptance of Common Anti-Vaccination Claims, The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review, Volume 1, Issue 1 Received: Nov. 13, 2019 Accepted: Jan. 6, 2020 Published: Jan. 14, 2020
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
