Mediation Analysis of Conspiratorial Thinking and Anti-Expert Sentiments on Vaccine Willingness

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mediation Analysis of Conspiratorial Thinking and Anti-Expert Sentiments on Vaccine Willingness

AU - Blackburn, Angelique

AU - Han, Hyemin

AU - Gelpí, Rebekah

AU - Jeftić, Alma

AU - Ch'ng, Brendan

AU - Koszałkowska, Karolina

AU - Lacko, David

AU - Milfont, Taciano L.

AU - Lee, Yookyung

AU - Lieberoth, Andreas

AU - Vestergreen, Sara

AU - COVIDiSTRESS II Consortium

AU - Mauritsen, Anne Lundahl

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Objective: Vaccines are an effective means to reduce the spread of diseases, but they are sometimes met with hesitancy that needs to be understood. Method: In this study,we analyzed data from a large, cross-country survey conducted between June and August 2021 in 43 countries (N= 15,740) to investigate the roles of trust in government and science in shaping vaccine attitudes and willingness to be vaccinated. Results: Despite significant variability between countries, we found that both forms of institutional trust were associated with a higher willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, we found that conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments predicted reduced trust in government and science, respectively, and that trust mediated the relationship between these two constructs and ultimate vaccine attitudes. Although most countries displayed similar relationships between conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments, trust in government and science, and vaccine attitudes, we identified three countries (Brazil, Honduras, and Russia) that demonstrated significantly altered associations between the examined variables in terms of significant random slopes. Conclusions: Cross-country differences suggest that local governments’ support for COVID-19 prevention policies can influence populations’ vaccine attitudes.

AB - Objective: Vaccines are an effective means to reduce the spread of diseases, but they are sometimes met with hesitancy that needs to be understood. Method: In this study,we analyzed data from a large, cross-country survey conducted between June and August 2021 in 43 countries (N= 15,740) to investigate the roles of trust in government and science in shaping vaccine attitudes and willingness to be vaccinated. Results: Despite significant variability between countries, we found that both forms of institutional trust were associated with a higher willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, we found that conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments predicted reduced trust in government and science, respectively, and that trust mediated the relationship between these two constructs and ultimate vaccine attitudes. Although most countries displayed similar relationships between conspiratorial thinking and anti-expert sentiments, trust in government and science, and vaccine attitudes, we identified three countries (Brazil, Honduras, and Russia) that demonstrated significantly altered associations between the examined variables in terms of significant random slopes. Conclusions: Cross-country differences suggest that local governments’ support for COVID-19 prevention policies can influence populations’ vaccine attitudes.

KW - anti-expert sentiments

KW - conspiratorial thinking

KW - government

KW - trust

KW - vaccine hesitancy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85151864291&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/hea0001268

DO - 10.1037/hea0001268

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37023325

SN - 0278-6133

VL - 42

SP - 235

EP - 246

JO - Health Psychology

JF - Health Psychology

IS - 4

ER -