Science denial and medical misinformation in pandemic times: A psycho-criminological analysis

Anita Lavorgna,Heather Myles

doi:10.1177/1477370820988832

Abstract

This study integrates criminological social learning and psychological explanations of individual factors and mechanisms for science denial to offer an individual-level analysis of ‘alternative lifestyle’ subcultural groups in cyberspace in order to understand the assimilation, success and proliferation of potentially dangerous health-related misinformation. Through a rigorous passive online ethnography of two relevant self-identifying ‘alternative lifestyle’ Italian- and English-speaking online communities observed over the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we observed the unfolding of online narratives and behavioural intentions of criminological and psychological interest. We identified in our data both individual factors and mechanisms for science denial and clues to social learning, and we showed how they interrelate. Furthermore, by looking at the linguistic and visual resources used to shape how participants think through social learning mechanisms, we identified four main narrative frames: informative; oppositional; empathetic; and agency and spirituality. The findings of this study provide a more comprehensive understanding of the reasons for and mechanisms behind medical misinformation online and suggest ways to mitigate the related harms.

Highlights

Health-related myths, ideas and practices developed outside science-based medicine have boomed in recent years, especially owing to the commercialization of cyberspace
In early 2020, the world found itself facing a new challenge with the outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease – COVID-19 – spreading across countries, to the point that the outbreak was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020
Even when confronted with credible evidence of a contrary belief, commenting users cling to their original belief, for instance suggesting that the effects of the virus have been severe in a certain area because mass vaccination had been carried out in that area in previous months, weakening immune systems (Community II)

Summary

Introduction

Health-related myths, ideas and practices (including fraudulent, harmful, or at best useless, pharmaceutical and therapeutic approaches) developed outside science-based medicine have boomed in recent years, especially owing to the commercialization of cyberspace The latter has played a fundamental role in the rise of false ‘health experts’ and in the creation of filter bubbles and echo chambers (Cinelli et al, 2020) – often in the form of online communities – that have contributed to the formation of highly polarized debates on health, the propagation of health myths, and the promotion and selling of fake cures advertised as safe and effective. There has been a proliferation of potentially very dangerous health-related misinformation, with potentially significant repercussions for individual and public health

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Results

Conclusion